NHER 57424 (Monument record) - Earthworks of undated ditches, possible medieval to post medieval enclosure and trackways

August 2012. Norfolk NMP.
Earthworks of undated ditches which may relate to trackways and a possible enclosure are visible on aerial photographs (S1-S4) on land known as Overa Heath, Quidenham.
The possible trackways are visible stretching over 665m east-west, from TL 9936 8802 to TL 9869 8809, and are likely to represent several phases of droveways across the heath in the medieval to post medieval period.
A possible rectangular enclosure is also visible, centred on TL 9883 8805, which measures a minimum of approximately 85m by 62m internally. It appears to be cut by at least one of the possible trackways, although it is impossible to separate from some of the other ditch features, so it is difficult to ascertain whether this feature belongs in fact to a separate period altogether, or whether in fact it is contemporary with at least one phase of the trackways. It has therefore also been tentatively assigned a medieval to post medieval date. It is possible to make out divisions within this enclosure (S1), and it is also possible that these ditches relate to agricultural use of the land within the enclosure such as ridge and furrow, although it is difficult to be certain of this.
A clearer area of possible ridge and furrow is visible, to the west of the possible enclosure, centred on TL 9878 8805, which measures 100m by up to 89m. It is likely that all these features represent small-scale agricultural use of the heath in the medieval to post medieval period.
However, it should be noted that there are surviving earthworks of possible Bronze Age to Iron Age date in the vicinity (NHER 54940, 57426, 57227), and that some or all of these earthworks could in fact be contemporary with these features. Particularly an earthwork ditch that is visible from TL 9879 8786 to TL 9896 8781, which appears to be cut by later trackways and footpaths across the heath that have not been mapped, could in fact be an earlier feature.
E. Bales (NMP), 04 September 2012.