NHER 27022 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Post medieval drainage ditches

February 2001. Norfolk NMP.
Two linear ditches are visible as earthworks on 1946 aerial photography (S1). The two ditches run between TF 8397 4457 - TF 8410 4442, and TF 8427 4473 - TF 8429 4442. They are located in an area of salt marsh, near an area of short sections of ditches (NHER 27026), which appear to have been used to drain this area. These two ditches are depicted on the 1906 OS map (S2,) although the more westerly ditch is shorter on the map than it is on the aerial photographs. These ditches would therefore appear to be part of the attempts at drainage/land reclamation which occur frequently in this area. They may be artificial channels designed to carry water along a certain course. While these features are certainly modern in date it is unclear whether or not they follow the course of earlier features. Absence of these features on historic maps of the area suggests that this is not the case.
These channels are visible on the 1822 map of the Burnham marshes (S3). So they are definitely post medieval in date (S. Massey (NMP)).
A. Hunt (Suffolk CC NMP), 5 February 2002.