NHER 51943 (Monument record) - Double-ditched, possible medieval to post medieval D-shaped enclosure

November 2008. Norfolk NMP.
A large, partially double-ditched, D-shaped enclosure is visible on aerial photographs (S1)-(S9), centred at TG 2881 1067. It measures 355m by 360m (maximum), and it seems probable that it would have formed a D-shape in plan, although the northeast corner is missing due to truncation by post medieval field boundaries, farm buildings and a road.

The western part of the enclosure runs parallel to a ditch included in a medieval to post medieval field system (NHER 51942), and it is likely that this feature is of a similar date. The double ditches to the south may represent part of a trackway.

Two parallel west northwest-east southeast ditches were visible within the enclosure, 110m apart, although were only apparent on one set of photographs (S9), and have therefore been recorded with a note of caution.
E. Bales (NMP), 18 November 2008.

March-June 2009. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey on proposed line of Norwich Northern Distributor Road.
The areas examined included sections of the fields north and south of Middle Road (Areas G5 and Area G6). Although the survey areas coincided with several sections of the cropmark enclosure no evidence for corresponding sub-surface remains was identified. Although a number of anomalies were detected, none are likely to correspond with archaeologically significant features. See report (S10) and NHERs 62531 and 62532 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 3 August 2015. Amended 27 July 2018.

April-May 2015. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of two sites on proposed line of Norwich Northern Distributor Road (Fields G5 and G6).
Three of the thirteen trenches excavated to the north of Middle Road (Field G5) were positioned to coincide with the cropmark enclosure, two of which were placed across its northern side and one across the southern end of its western side. Despite the negative results of the earlier geophysical survey a single corresponding ditch was exposed in all three trenches. There was however no evidence for surviving deposits relating to the associated bank feature that had been visible on the aerial photographs. The ditch associated with the western side of the enclosure was 3m wide and 0.8m deep, whilst the northern ditch was much less substantial, surviving to a depth of only 0.4-0.15m. The latter produced fragments of post-medieval pottery, roof tile and clay tobacco pipe.
The two west-north-west to south-south-east aligned linear cropmarks to the north of Middle Road that appear to represent sub-divisions of the enclosure's internal space were also found to be associated with surviving ditches, although unfortunately these features produced no dating evidence.
Trenches excavated to the south of Middle Road (Field G6) confirmed that the curvilinear cropmarks here were indeed associated with the remains of a trackway, represented by a metalled surface flanked by parallel ditches. The finds recovered were of predominantly post-medieval date suggesting these features were probably at least broadly contemporary with the enclosure ditch to the north.
See report (S4) and NHERs 62531 and 62532 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 10 July 2019.