NHER 53217 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Cropmarks and earthworks of a linear bank and boundary ditch

November 2009. Norfolk NMP.
The cropmarks and earthworks relating to a linear bank and boundary ditch, probably originally part of a Roman road, are visible on aerial photographs (S1-S3) to the northwest of Grove Farm, Poringland. This section of road forms part of a longer stretch of Roman road (NHER 52298) which runs across the former Poringland Heath and joining with the Roman road to Ditchingham, Stone Street, at Brooke to the southeast. The northwestern end of this road links with the Roman road (NHER 30288) running east from the Roman town of Venta Icenorum. The route of this road is continued to the northwest of Poringland Wood, see NHER 53216, and it is feasible that traces of the road or associated roadside ditches may survive as earthworks within some sections of the wood, although no evidence of this could be identified from the aerial photographs. The site is centred on TG 2583 0156.
The line of a possible former bank or road surface, up to 6m across, is visible as slight parchmarks in late July 1977 (S2) running from TG 2592 0146 to TG 2584 0156 and then intermittently from TG 2578 0161 to TG 2584 0156. This parchmark is flanked by a ditch to either side. To the north the line of this feature was preserved in a post medieval field boundary which was still in use as late as 1946 (S1).
To the immediate west of the section of possible road is a parallel section of earthwork ditch (NHER 53221). This is 20m apart from the main possible roadside ditch and/or post medieval field boundary. In-between this ditch and the earthwork is a series of perpendicular earthwork channels. Whilst it is most likely that all of these features, that are visible as earthworks in 1946 (S1) represent part of the post medieval, or even medieval to post medieval field divisions and drainage, the relationship between the probable Roman road and earthworks could suggest that the main parallel ditch at least is in origin a Roman date roadside ditch, see NHER 53221 for details.
S. Horlock (NMP), 05 November 2009.