NHER 45081 (Monument record) - Possible site of peat or clay extraction at Thurne Mouth

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Summary

A possible area of former peat or clay extraction, presumably of post-Roman date, is visible as vegetation marks (and perhaps slight earthworks in places) on aerial photographs. The relatively limited areas of wetter, lower ground are rather poorly defined, but they could have been man-made features. They are comparable to more extensive areas of former extraction identified elsewhere, as in the area surrounding Heigham Holmes (e.g. NHER 27280). If they represent former peat cuttings, it is likely that they date to the medieval period. There is little peat, however, in this part of the Thurne Valley, and the site is more likely to represent clay extraction.

Protected Status/Designation

None recorded

Location

Map sheet	TG41NW
Civil Parish	THURNE, GREAT YARMOUTH, NORFOLK

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Full Description

September 2006. Norfolk NMP.
A possible area of former peat or clay extraction is visible as vegetation marks, and perhaps slight earthworks in places, on aerial photographs (S1), centred at TG 4013 1521. The site could represent former peat cuttings, in which case it is presumably of medieval date. There is little peat, however, in this part of the Thurne Valley (see Williamson 1997 (S2), for example), and the site is perhaps more likely to reflect the extraction of clay. Alternatively, the mapped features could instead be of natural or recent agricultural origin.
S. Tremlett (NMP), 27 September 2006.

July-November 2009. Watching Brief.
The excavation of a new lake at this location as part of the Broadland Flood Alleviation Project revealed no clear evidence for clay or peat extraction. The natural silty clay deposits exposed were found to be fairly consist across the area of the pond, although it was noted that they were slightly softer at its western end.
The excavation of a new dyke also revealed no evidence for clay or peat extraction at this location.
See report (S3) and NHERs 66591 and 66592 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 31 March 2023.

Associated Sources (3)

<S1> SNF65488 Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1946. RAF 106G/UK/1634 3019-20 09-JUL-1946 (NMR).
<S2> SNF52439 Monograph: Williamson, T.. 1997. The Norfolk Broads: A Landscape History.. p 13; Fig 3.
<S3> SNF102081 Unpublished Contractor Report: Wallis, H. 2016. Thurne Dyke to Oby Dyke, Compartment 8, Broadland Flood Alleviation Project. Monitoring of Works Under Archaeological Supervision and Control. Heather Wallis. 194.

Site and Feature Types and Periods (4)

Object Types (0)

Related NHER Records (0)

Record last edited

Mar 31 2023 4:06PM