NHER 31745 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Site of possible Bronze Age round barrow

THE LINEAR DITCH DESCRIBED BELOW IS NOW RECORDED AS PART OF NHER 45247.

28 June 1990. NAU air photography (S1).
One double concentric ring ditch.
D. Edwards (NAU).

2 August 1995. NLA air photography (S2).
Double concentric ring ditch still visible, plus linear ditch cojoining the ring ditch to the east.
It is likely that this is an old field boundary.
S. Massey (NLA), 3 August 2001.

March 2007. Norfolk NMP.
NMP mapping has led to the alteration of the central grid reference for the site from TG 3282 2815 to TG 3286 2818. The linear ditch described above is now recorded as part of NHER 45247.

The ring ditch described above is visible as a cropmark on aerial photographs (S2)-(S5), centred at TG 3286 2818. Rather than representing a double concentric ring ditch, it seems more likely that a single ring ditch was recut, slightly to the north or south of the original. The site’s topographic position, isolation and general appearance suggests that this was probably the site of a Bronze Age round barrow; the mound might perhaps have been reused in a later period, necessitating the recutting of the ditch. The ring ditch(es) is surrounded by the fragmentary, multi-period cropmarks of field boundaries and other linear features (NHER 45247). Some of these appear to respect the ring ditch, including a north-south oriented field boundary immediately to its east, which is depicted on Honing Tithe Map (S6) and therefore of post medieval date. This suggests that the ring ditch, or the mound it probably surrounded, still survived as an earthwork when the field boundaries were laid out. The origin or purpose of the curvilinear ditches to the immediate north and west of the ring ditch is unclear.

The ring ditches are roughly circular in plan. The southeastern cut measures approximately 18.5m in diameter; the northwestern cut measures approximately 16m. An internal pit-like feature, which appears to be central to the northwestern cut, may hold a burial or similar ritual/ceremonial deposit.
S. Tremlett (NMP), 21 March 2007.