NHER 38473 (Monument record) - Cropmarks of Iron Age to Roman trackway and ditch and multi-period field boundaries

February 2004, Norfolk NMP
Nine segments of ditch, probably parts of six ditches, are visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs from 1988 (S1) and (S2). These may represent an Iron Age to Roman trackway and ditch and field boundaries of any period from the Bronze Age to the early post medieval period.

The ditches making up the trackway, which would be approximately 9m wide, are visible (as an alignment of ditch segments) from TG 2128 3522 to TG 2125 3513 and from TG 2126 3522 to TG 2126 3519 (S1). They follow a similar alignment to a possible Iron Age to Romano-British trackway 140m to the west (NHER 38472) and may be of a similar date. To the south (from TG 2120 3511 to TG 2126 3509), a rectilinear ditch of unknown function, appears to continue the line of a ditch 66m to its northwest (NHER 13027). This flanks a probable Iron Age square barrow, and an Iron Age to Roman date for both ditches seems plausible.

The spacing of the remaining ditches suggests that they are field boundaries. They are visible for up to 80m (S1) to (S2). They do not follow the alignment of the trackway but neither do they conform to the modern field boundaries. It could be argued that the trackway is later than the field boundaries, because it both cuts across the line of their ditches and appears to be aligned on what would have been the corner of a field. This is rather tenuous, however, and since so little of any of the ditches is visible on the available aerial photographs it is difficult to narrow the broad range of possible dates with any certainty.

It should be noted that the southernmost ditch segment of the trackway (from TG 2126 3515 to TG 2125 3513) were sketched from an unrectified part of the photograph (S2).
S. Tremlett (NMP), 24 February 2004