NHER 51979 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Cropmarks of a possible ring ditch of uncertain date and origin

March 2009. Norfolk NMP.
The cropmarks of a possible ring ditch are visible on aerial photographs and may represent the remains of a former Bronze Age round barrow (S1). The site is centred on TG 2375 0082. The position of the site on side of a valley overlooking a minor tributary of the River Tas would be characteristic of a round barrow setting. The possible ring ditch is indicated by a slightly irregular circular cropmark, with a diameter of around 19m. It must be noted that the archaeological origin of the cropmarks recorded is not certain and it is possibly that they are derived from underlying geological features. However as an archaeological origin for the cropmarks cannot be ruled out, the feature is worth recording. The site is located within an area of parkland surrounding Stoke Hall (NHER 9766) and it is possible that this circular relates to a former area of planting or woodland within the park layout. The cropmarks and soilmarks of boundaries, trackways and avenues within the Park are recorded under NHER 14240. The park also contains a number of small pits and quarries and it remains a possibility that this feature represents an infilled pit of some sort.
S. Horlock (NMP), 11 March 2009.