NHER 54572 (Monument record) - Possible ditches of Roman date

February 2011. Norfolk NMP.
The cropmarks of possible ditches of unknown but possible Roman date may be visible on aerial photographs (S1) to the south of the Roman settlement at Brettenham (NHER 5653). The site is centred on TL 9421 8329. These possible ditches are recorded within an area of dense ‘patterned ground’ cropmarks, which are derived from sandy acidic soils filling natural ridges in the underlying chalk. Consequently it is hard to be entirely certain that these linear ditch-like cropmarks are of archaeological origin. However the fact that they appear to cut across the predominant alignment of the patterned ground in this area would suggest that they are archaeological. Finds in the area of predominantly Roman in date, see NHER 22773, 28614, 31662, 39936 & 48977 for example, and it is therefore possible that these ditches relate to Roman date boundaries. However the Roman finds in this area are likely to also relate to the nearby Roman settlement (NHER 5653) and the Peddars Way Roman road (NHER 1289).
S. Horlock (NMP), 02 February 2011.