NHER 53224 (Monument record) - Cropmarks of fragmentary fields and enclosures of probable Roman date

November 2009. Norfolk NMP.
The cropmarks of a large area of fragmentary ditches and field boundaries, potentially largely of Roman date, are visible on aerial photographs to the south of Poringland (S1-S6). The site is centred on TG 2685 0078. The vast majority of these boundaries run either broadly parallel or perpendicular to the line of a major Roman road (NHER 53218 and 52298), which runs across the former Poringland Heath and joins with the Roman road to Ditchingham, Stone Street, at Brooke to the southeast (NHER 52298). It is therefore possible that many of these fragmentary cropmarks relate to Roman boundaries and fields broadly contemporary with the road, although as the road may have continued in use for some time (see NHER 53285 for seemingly post medieval landscape features that follow this alignment), some of these ditches could relate to post-Roman field boundaries. The majority of the fragmentary ditches mapped appear to represent field boundaries, although a possible rectangular enclosure is recorded at TG 2654 0120 (S3), measuring 85m by at least 60m.
S. Horlock (NMP), 03 November 2009.