NHER 26754 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Post medieval and modern pits

January 2001. NMP.
A series of rectangular and sub-rectangular pits are visible as earthworks at TF 720 445. On 1945 aerial photographs (S1). The pits/tanks are located close behind a section of the sea defences (NHER 26762), and run northnorthwest to eastsoutheast. There are five complete pits and four or five partial pits. Some of these pits can be seen on 1971 aerial photographs (S2), although they are slightly less clear. Two or three of the pits are depicted on the Ordnance Survey 2nd edition map (S3) and although not labelled themselves, they are near some sluices. It is thus possible that the pits played a part in the sea defence system or in the drainage of the marshes behind the defences. The size of the pits varies from 8m to 50m long, with one length of scarp running for about 200m. These features may also have been extraction pits (for salt?) or settling tanks, but there is not enough evidence on the aerial photographs to be sure.
A. Hunt (NMP), 24 January 2001.