NHER 38278 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Possible medieval/post medieval sea defence banks

September 2002. Norfolk NMP.
At the north end of the field called High Holmes there is a cropmark of a bank evident. It runs from NGR TF7026 4416 to TF7046 4421 (and is about 210m in length, and 10-15m in width). There is a possible continuation of this bank along the eastern side of the field. (This continuation is about 510m in length and about 7-15m in width). It can be seen to the east on the other side of the drain at the field edge. It runs from TF7048 4421 to TF7058 4386. There is then a slight break and it continues again from TF7059 4384 through TF7060 4380 to TF7067 4381. These may well have been connected to sea defence/land reclamation; possible remains of sea banks now gone out of use. These features can be seen on ADAS aerial photographs from 1970 (S1) and Hunting Survey Limited aerial photographs from 1969 (S2).
The area of land they would protect is shown, together with the field to the south, as dry land sticking out into the saltmarsh on Faden’s 1797 Map of Norfolk (S3) and Bryant’s 1826 Map of Norfolk (S4). It is recorded under NHER 1298. It is marked as the High Holmes on a map from 1722 (S5) and one from 1609 (S6), and the area to the south is referred to as the Low Holmes. This suggests that these areas of land were areas of useable land within the salt marsh at these times (and probably earlier). Suggesting that these banks probably date from at least this time and are therefore at least early post medieval in origin, if not medieval.
It also seems possible that these cropmarks are connected to the sea defence banks recorded as NHER 26761 (these are still upstanding and appear to join/abut the cropmarks). Perhaps one is the continuation of the other.
H. Clare (NMP), 16 September 2002.