NHER 62084 (Monument record) - Settlement and land divisions of Roman and medieval date

February 2017. 'Brecks from Above' and Breckland National Mapping Programme.
An extensive and complex area of enclosures, boundary ditches, and trackways relating to settlement and agriculture of probable Roman, medieval and post-medieval date is visible on aerial photographs (S1-S12) and lidar data (S15). Some of these cropmarks and earthworks have previously been recorded under NHER 5638 as a medieval ditch system and under NHER 5636 as being associated with the excavated Roman building within the eastern part of the site. The division between this site and those surrounding it are somewhat arbitrary, in particular NHER 29701 and NHER 61569, with some components continuing into these adjacent sites.
The enclosures, boundary ditches and tracks clearly represent several phases of activity, but the nature of the evidence makes it hard to confidently split the site up. Excavated evidence for Roman ditches, pre-dating the 4th century barn, most likely of 2nd and early 3rd century date (S13), follow a similar alignment to the medieval to post-medieval land divisions depicted on the 1839 Weeting with Bromehill Tithe map (S14). Finds evidence in the area of the cropmarks (NHER 38097) clearly indicates both Roman and medieval structures and activity. Further investigation of the site is necessary to confidently separate the Roman elements form the probably more extensive medieval. The close proximity to the nearby Roman settlement at Hockwold must also be highlighted (NHER 5587).
It seems most likely that the more irregular ditches, tracks and pits within close proximity to the site of the excavated barn (NHER 5636) date to the Roman period. The possible post-built structure recorded in this area (S8), potentially representing a structure at least 13.5 by 7.5m, may represent a barn on the Roman farming estate.
The area of enclosures and land divisions on the lower parts of the Little Ouse Valley and to the south of Fengate Drove follow a markedly different alignment and layout. It is not clear whether this is a consequence of the topography and land use or whether it relates to a different phase of activity.
Recent aerial photographs, for example (S11-12), indicate that significant parts of the site survive as earthworks, in particular around Fengate Farm and to the north of Fengate Drove. The Environment Agency 1m resolution lidar data (S15) indicates that the area to the north of the Drove potentially survive in detail. The 1m lidar data for the area to the south of this Drove may be misleading, as Google Earth suggests a series of linear features criss-crossing the area that would appear to be recent and agricultural in date (S11-12). Therefore the historic aerial photograph evidence was relied on to a greater extent.
S. Horlock (Norfolk Historic Environment Service), 18 February 2017.