NHER 38206 (Monument record) - Natural tree trunk on Holme Beach

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Summary

During a 2003 walkover survey two tree trunks were discovered and it was thought that they may have been part of a structure. However, erosion has shown that instead they represent a single fallen tree with several stems. The stems may indicate that it was coppiced, either by animals or humans. This tree is one of many within the peat beds on Holme Beach.

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Location

Map sheet TF74NW
Civil Parish HOLME NEXT THE SEA, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK

February to March 2003. NAU survey.
Two tree trunks, 0.2m apart, aligned east to west (not in line with prevailing winds). They may have been placed deliberately.
(S1)-(S2).
J. Allen (NLA), 23 April 2003.

September 2003. Site visit.
Found easily without the use of Global Positioning Satellite. Covered in mussels and seaweed.
Monument is undercut on south and west sides - depression and undercut up to 0.3m deep.
D. Robertson (NAU), 21 October 2003.

January 2004.
Area around the ‘two logs’ has been severely eroded – scour now at least 3.5m in diameter and 0.5m deep. Following this erosion, the timbers no longer look like two logs laid next to each other. Instead [1] believes is more probable that they represent a single tree with the central pith eroded away or a double stemmed tree – both of these possibilities fit the fact that when only the upper part was visible it looked like two timbers. This means that it is a natural feature – a tree that has fallen over onto the peat. As such it will no longer be monitored as part of the Holme Beach Archaeological Survey (NHER 37792).
D. Robertson (NAU), 3 March 2004.

May 2006.
Oak. Possibly multi-stemmed (four stems?) and coppiced. If coppiced perhaps as a result of animal browsing or beavers cutting down trees, although coppicing by humans is also possible.
See (S3)-(S4).
D. Robertson (NLA), 12 June 2006.

  • --- Unpublished Document: Robertson, D. 2005. Holme Beach Monitoring Update Report.
  • <S1> Unpublished Document: NAU. 2003. NAU Report. An Archaeological Walkover Survey at Holme Beach, Holme-next-the-Sea, Norfolk: Assessment Report and Updated Project Design. Norfolk Archaeological Unit.
  • <S2> Unpublished Document: Norfolk Archaeology & Environment Division. 2003. Holme-Next-The-Sea Archaeological Project Design.
  • <S3> Unpublished Document: Taylor, M.. 2006. Holme Beach - 15/05/2006.
  • <S4> Unpublished Document: Green, F.. 2006. Field work at Holme 15th May 2006.

Object Types (0)

Related NHER Records (0)

Record last edited

Nov 25 2014 11:30AM

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