NHER 27007 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Site of ring ditch and medieval or post medieval field boundaries

THESE CROPMARKS WERE PREVIOUSLY RECORDED UNDER NHER 28117

23 July 1991. NAU aerial photography.
Cropmarks of enclosure, subrectangular feature and possible pit group cut by modern road.
D. Edwards (NLA) 23 July 1991.

19 July 1996. NLA air photography.
Cropmarks of possible pit cluster, linears visible, plus irregular sub-rectangular enclosure with circular interior, cut by road.
S. Massey (NLA), 30 April 2001.

October 2002. Norfolk NMP.
The northern group of cropmarks were previously recorded under NHER 28117, visible on NLA oblique aerial photographs from 1991 (S1) and 1996 (S2). The most obvious feature of the site is an irregular shaped enclosure at TF 8378 4207. It has ring ditch qualities in the interior, but the outer edge of the ditch is quite angular. It measures 24m by 18m. It is possible it is a ring ditch of Bronze Age origin, as there are several others running along the route of the railway line, (NHER 12787 to 9 and NHER 1020). Although the cropmark is quite clear and angular in its appearance, it is possible that it is a more recent feature. Possibly relating to the construction or working of the railway line (NHER 13590). To the immediate northeast of this enclosure is a possible pit cluster, centred on TF 8379 4208. It appears to be seven pits, varying in size from 1m to 3m across. It is possible that these represent some sort of structured deposition, although whether this specifically prehistoric is not clear. It is also worth bearing in mind that the geology in this area has in places pockets of gravels, especially to the northwest. So it is possible that whilst these appear to be a distinct group, they may just be geological. A second possible group of four pits have been identified to the east, centred on TF 8391 4214. These are quite clear on some photography, although on others they appear to be subsumed into a much wider band of geological patterning. Various other pits are visible to the south, although these are generally much larger and more rounded. The largest is 7m in diameter and located at TF 8364 4195. Three other, slightly smaller pits are located at TF 8381 4190, TF 8384 4184, TF 8388 4194. Two other circular anomalies are visible, one at TF 8366 4212, 19m in diameter, and a second at TF 8365 4215, 15m in diameter. These appear to be large sunken hollows or pits, but they only appear on the NLA oblique aerial photographs from 1996 (S2). So it is possible that they were more ephemeral features only showing during the 1996 dry conditions. A linear can be seen to run from TF 8366 4123 to TF 8389 4221 in an interrupted form. Also a trackway running from TF 8374 4206 to TF 8371 4217, 100m long and the ditches are between 7m and 9m apart. The area to the south of the road is cut through by the parchmark of the dismantled railway line (NHER 13590), as marked on the 2nd edition map (1902-7, 25") (S3). This area is typified by a series of parallel ditches, one of these lined up with a field boundary marked on the 2nd edition map (S3), although it appears to predate the railway, as it continues to the north. It is also likely that the other linears are field boundaries, possibly relating to medieval strip fields or slightly later post medieval field boundaries. Alongside the western ditch, centred on TF 8365 4192, are several co-joined ditches, forming a rectangular enclosed area, measuring 20m by 16m. This is also likely to be late medieval to post medieval in date. At the southern extent of the site are two sinuous, roughly parallel linears ditches running from TF 8376 4187 to TF 8393 4191, varying in width from 2m to 10m apart in places. These are likely to be part of a trackway of unknown date.
S. Massey (NMP), 1 October 2002.

September 2020. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of land to south-east of junction between Creake Road and Joan Shorts Lane.
It appears that none of the trenches coincided with the single north-to-south aligned cropmark recorded within the bounds of this site (at TF 8364 4200), although it is quite close to the line of a similarly-aligned, undated ditch with a pronounced ‘V’-shaped profile.
The majority of the other excavated ditches also had similar alignments to the cropmarks in this group. Datable finds were limited to a small number of medieval pottery sherds, all of which were recovered from one feature.
See report (S4) and NHER 65232 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 5 August 2021.