NHER 45055 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Cropmarks of probable late prehistoric or Iron Age enclosures and fields

1998. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of undeveloped area to west of hospital (part of proposed South Gorleston Development Area).
Although the areas selected for detailed survey coincided with a number of cropmarks in this group no corresponding sub-surface remains were identified.
See NHER 13020 and report (S1) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 15 March 2019.

September 2006. Norfolk NMP.
The cropmarks of probable late prehistoric or Iron Age enclosures and fields are visible on aerial photographs in the vicinity of the James Paget Hospital and in the Great Yarmouth and Bradwell parishes (S2-S8). The site is centred on TG 5158 0257. The site consists of fragmentary cropmarks, dispersed over a 1.5km wide area, possibly representing the remains of a group of enclosures, with associated fields and trackways. These were overlain by a series of post medieval field boundaries and enclosures (NHER 45056). However archaeological work in the eastern part of this site in 1982 and 1998 revealed no trace of any archaeological features on the ground, see NHER 13020 and 11787-11788. A group of ditches to the southwest of the site appear to be either overlain by or overlie the more substantial ditches of NHER 45052, a group of probable Iron Age to Roman date settlement and fields. It seems most likely that these pre-date 45052. Other undated fragmentary cropmarks within this area have been recorded under NHER 45057.

The majority of the ditches are likely to be field boundaries, although centred on TG 5179 0254 is a cluster of smaller enclosures, possibly forming the main focus of the site. A rectilinear enclosure is visible at TG 5178 0247, measuring approximately 40m by 30m (S6). To the east, although the cropmarks are too fragmentary to be certain, further possible enclosures may be suggested by the close proximity of the ditches to one another, including a possible enclosure at TG 5188 0259, potentially measuring 30m square. To the west is a small rectangular enclosure, potentially 35m by 15m, and conjoined to a double ditched boundary or trackway (S7). To the east, centred on TG 5102 0280, additional double ditched features indicate further trackways. Centred on TG 5096 0237 is another group of possible enclosures, measuring from 20m across to 42m to at least 44m (S3, S8). These enclosures are located within a complex palimpsest of fragmentary ditches, many of which are undated and recorded under NHER 45057. However some of these are also either overlain by or overlie NHER 45052. Given the morphology of the features it seems most likely that these pre-date 45052. The remainder of the site is characterised by the dispersed and fragmentary linear ditches, which may represent a field system, broadly aligned NW-SE and NE-SW.
S. Massey (NMP), 12 September 2006.

February-March 2010. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of groundworks associated with installation of underground electrical cables.
Although the cable trench coincided with two perpendicular cropmarks at TG 5124 0259 and TG 5126 0257 no corresponding sub-surface remains were observed.
See report (S9) and NHER 62738 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 2 January 2019.

January 2013. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of fields to north and south of Clay Lane and Gorleston Lane.
Although a number of the cropmarks in this group fell within the area examined, the survey recorded no clear evidence for corresponding sub-surface remains. It is therefore possible that any associated remains have been significantly truncated by ploughing since the cropmarks were photographed.
See report (S10) and NHER 62730 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 2 January 2019.

July 2014. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of route of proposed A12-A143 link road.
Although at least two of the trenches excavated in the field immediately to the south of Gorleston Lane (NHER 62730) coincided with linear cropmarks in this group no corresponding sub-surface features were identified.
Further south, several trenches were excavated close to another group of cropmarks at TG 5125 0256 (NHER 62738). Here several similarly-aligned ditches were identified, although unfortunately no dating evidence was recovered and none of these features could be confidently associated with particular cropmarks.
See report (S11) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 2 January 2019.

June-July 2016. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of field to west of Woodfarm Lane.
Although several of the trenches coincided with cropmarks in this group no corresponding features were identified. One of the north-east to south-west aligned cropmarks is close to a ditch exposed at TG 5143 0260 that produced a small amount of Roman pottery, although it should be noted that their alignments were not necessarily identical.
See report (S12) and NHER 62738 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 2 January 2019.

March 2020. Trial Trenching.
The phase of work saw the examination of an area immediately south of Woodfarm Lane.
Three of the trenches excavated at this location were placed to coincide with the pair of adjacent north-east to south-west aligned cropmarks recorded at TG51090282. No corresponding sub-surface remains were identified.
See report (S13) and NHER 62730 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 9 February 2023.

March 2023. Assessment of the Character and Significance of East Anglian Field Systems project.
The site described above was included in the dataset analysed for the Historic England-funded Assessment of East Anglian Field Systems project. See the project report (S14) for further details.
S. Tremlett (Norfolk County Council Environment Team), 22 March 2023.

January 2024. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of small proposed development site to south of Potters Field.
Although several of the trenches excavated at this location coincided with cropmarks in this group no corresponding sub-surface remains were identified.
See report (S15) and NHER 68434 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 9 August 2024.

April-May 2024. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of land east of Woodfarm Lane.
The excavated trenches coincided with seven of the cropmarks in this group, although only two were found to have associated ditches. These were a short north-west to south-east aligned cropmark at TG 5164 0251 and a north-east to south-west aligned cropmark TG 5176 0248 that appears to form one side of a small enclosure. Neither ditch produced any dating evidence. Cropmarks with no evidence for surviving surface remains included the parallel north-east to south-west aligned features at TG 5187 0233.
Information from draft report.
See report (S16) and NHER 68434 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 9 August 2024.

September-October 2024. Excavation.
Final phase of archaeological mitigation prior to development of area to west of Woodfarm Lane.
Although two of the more fragmentary cropmarks in this group coincided with the excavated area no corresponding sub-surface remains were identified.
See report (S17) and NHER 62738 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 7 January 2025.