NHER 42090 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Cropmarks of two ring ditches

October 2005. Norfolk NMP.
Cropmarks of two ring ditches, of possible Bronze Age or Early Anglo Saxon date are visible on aerial photographs (S1) to (S4). These cropmarks are located at TG 4954 1282. The clearest of the ring ditch cropmarks is the southernmost, which is located at TG 4954 1281. It is circular in plan with a narrow ditch and an external diameter of 10m. A 1.3m wide gap is present in the ditch on the northeast side, which may represent an entrance. The second ring ditch is located 25m to its northeast at TG 4955 1283. It is sub-circular in plan and has an external diameter of up to 12m. The narrow ditch is incomplete, with four breaks present, some of which may be deliberate. An oval pit cropmark, measuring 2m by 1.5m, is present in the centre of this ring ditch. It is possible that this pit is a grave.
Both of these ring ditches are located on a south-facing slope at 10m OD. It is possible that they could relate to a Bronze Age round barrows. However, compared with other ring ditches in this area, which typically have diameters of 15m to 25m, they are of a relatively small size. A Bronze Age barrow cemetery is located 140m to the east and contains at least one other ring ditch of a similar small diameter (NHER 8645). Isolated ring ditches, with diameters of 14m and 25m are present further to the west (NHER 17592, 42081).
A broken Early Anglo Saxon cruciform brooch has been found 40m from these ring ditches (NHER 34258). Small ring ditches, with diameters of up to 10m are associated with some Early Anglo Saxon burials. Anglo Saxon ring ditches of a comparable diameter were excavated at the Spong Hill cemetery (NHER 1012)(S5). Consequently it is possible that one or both of these ring ditches could be of Early Anglo Saxon date.
J. Albone (NMP), 18 October 2005