NHER 45083 (Monument record) - Post medieval causeway and/or flood bank associated with Thurne Mill

September 2006. Norfolk NMP.
A causeway and/or flood bank is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs (S1)-(S2), between TG 3994 1615 and TG 4007 1592. Its southern end, which is flanked by ditches, leads towards and is quite clearly associated with Thurne Mill (NHER 8554). The two are almost certainly contemporary. The southern part of the bank crosses what appears to be a roughly rectilinear area of lower and wetter ground, the extent of which has been mapped. This might represent a former extractive pit, possibly for peat but more probably for clay, given the general absence of peaty soils from this part of the Thurne Valley (see Williamson 1997 (S3), for example). The extraction could pre-date the mill by some time, although is is almost certainly post Roman. If the pit was a peat cutting it probably dates to the medieval period. Alternatively, if it was for clay it may well have provided material for the mill’s construction, and therefore is also of 19th century date. The northern part of the bank, which lacks flanking ditches, could merely be the modern ‘wall’ for the parallel dyke to its west. Whether any earthworks still survive at the site is not known.
S. Tremlett (NMP), 27 September 2006.

March 2009-March 2010. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of excavation of new drainage dyke to north of Thurne Mill (NHER 6554) as part of the Broadland Flood Alleviation Project.
As the new dyke would coincide with these features the site was visited prior to the commencement of the works to survey any surviving earthworks. It was found that the bank/causeway was no longer visible as an earthwork and the subsequent excavation of the new dyke revealed no associated remains.
See report (S4) and NHER 66595 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 2 April 2023.