NHER 45261 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Multi-phase cropmark site

May 2008. Norfolk NMP.
A dispersed and fragmentary group of multi-period and undated cropmarks, the majority of which are fragments of boundary ditches, are visible on aerial photographs to the south and east of Belton Common (S1-S8). Any groups within the area of this multi-phase parent site that can be phased and/or dated have been recorded separately; see NHER 11552, 43591-2, 45175, 45215 for site records. These phased cropmarks are thought to range in date from the late prehistoric period to the post medieval. Most significantly these include a possible stretch of Roman road and an associated field system (NHER 43591-2). The fragmentary cropmarks recorded under this parent record are too incomplete and/or non-diagnostic of any particular period and therefore are all undated.

The majority of the cropmarks are located within the eastern part of the field and consist of fragmentary single ditches probably representing former field boundaries relating to several phases of fields. A number of these linear cropmarks appear to represent double ditched arrangements, such as TG 4938 0300, and are therefore likely to represent sections of trackways. A very small rectilinear enclosure, conjoined to a ditch, is located at TG 4926 0206, although this is of unknown date and significance.
S. Massey (NMP), 29 May 2008.

January 2013. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of large proposed development area.
This survey identified no evidence for sub-surface remains associated with three of the cropmarks mapped at the northern end of the field between Browston Lane and the A143 Beccles Road (c. TG 5001 0298).
See report (S9) and NHER 62728 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 21 May 2018.

March-May 2017. Strip Map and Sample Excavation.
Excavation of pipeline easement through two fields to south of New Road.
Although the four narrow strips excavated coincided with a number of the cropmark features in this group only two were found to be associated with surviving sub-surface remains. These included a west-north-west to east-south-east aligned ditch at TG 4946 0310 that may well have been a Bronze Age feature. Charcoal from a gorse-type plant recovered from its lower fill produced a Middle Bronze Age radiocarbon date of 1370-1090 cal BC (SUERC-75154; 95% probability; 2978 +/-30BP) and two sherds of Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age pottery were recovered from the overlying upper fill. The second ditch was an undated north-to-south aligned feature that corresponded with one of the two curving, parallel cropmarks running between TG 4939 0311 and TG 4936 0297.
See report (S10) and NHER 62731 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 5 May 2018.

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 (S11) for further details.
S. Tremlett (Norfolk County Council Environment Team), 22 March 2023.