NHER 42520 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Cropmark of possible Late Iron Age to Roman enclosure

THIS SITE WAS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED UNDER NHER 1427.

Three sides of a rectilinear enclosure are visible on CUCAP oblique aerial photographs from 1959 (S1) and ADAS verticals from 1970 (S2) to (S3) and are located at TF 6886 3777. It appears to be almost square and measures 55m by 50m. The corners are rounded and the ditch is between 1.5 and 3m wide. The finds from this area (see NHER 1427) along with the morphology of the enclosure indicate that it may be Iron Age or Romano-British in date. A linear ditch can be seen to run from the northern side of the enclosure, to TF 6889 3789.

The central area of the enclosure appears to be showing as a sunken area, centred on TF 6886 3778, measuring up to 28m by 21m. It has quite angular edges, in fact to the northeast, it seems to have the appearance of a corner. It appears to be cut through by a large linear feature, although it was thought that this was a natural geological feature that did not show on all photographs of the site. It may be that this feature is cutting through and obscuring a central feature. At TF 6887 3776 is a pit-like feature, measuring 4m by 2m. Other pits were visible to the north west of the enclosure on the CUCAP images (S1), although there was not sufficient control on these photographs to map features visible. Two other small linear features are visible at TF 6883 3779 and TF 6884 3776. It is possible that the boundaries of the enclosure continue to the south into SMR 26835, as there is a relatively broad linear running from TF 6887 3769 to TF 6885 3761.
S. Massey (NMP), 10 April 2002.