NHER 26887 (Monument record) - Medieval to post medieval water meadows and possible housing platforms

September 2002. Norfolk NMP.
Earthworks of possible medieval to post-medieval date visible on 1944 RAF aerial photographs (S1) and 1967 OS aerial photographs (S2). The site runs along the Ringstead Downs river valley from TF 6820 3948 to TF 6872 3988. To the east end of the site, centred on TF 6861 3985, are two rectangular raised mounds. The western one is at TF 6859 3983 and measures 25m by 15m. The eastern mound is at TF 6862 3987 and is 22m by 17m. A network of ditches or drains surrounds both of these raised areas. The ditches are the widest around the western example, up to 3.5m across. These raised mounds have the appearance of building platforms or a similar structure, however, several of these ditches run up to the river channel, suggesting that these ditches would have acted as water filled channels. It is possible that these mounds relate to a mill site, or similar site that requires such water management, but they may be water meadow features. Several others banks and ditches are associated with these mounds. Running from TF 6855 3986 to TF 6818 3951 is a linear ditch or channel, which is approximately 520m long and is between 1 to 2m wide. At the west end of this linear is a bank that runs across the river valley. This stretches from TF 6818 3950 to TF 6823 3946. The bank is visible in two parts, on either side of the river, but it is possible that it originally acted to make a 66m long and 5m wide dam of the river valley. To the immediate east of this bank, covering an area from TF 6830 3965 to TF 6821 3953 and centred on TF 6826 3961, is a group of parallel banks and ditches, either side of the river. Many of these are linked to the main northern ditch/drain channel. The banks or raised areas in between the ditches vary from 1.5-112m in width. The ditches are all between 1 and 3m across. These features are positioned at the mouth of a secondary valley, at the point it joins Ringstead Downs. It seems likely that these features reflect a water meadow type water management, with water being fed along the northern east to west channel and along the parallel ditches back to the river. These are likely to be post-medieval in date, although some of this site may be medieval in date and relate to the medieval settlement of Little Ringstead to the immediate north (SMR 1115).
S. Massey (NMP), 5 September 2002.