NHER 63713 (Monument record) - Late-18th to early-19th century faggot filled drain

8 August 2019. Casual observation and recording.
During the excavation of a short length of dyke in Martham, Norfolk Rivers Internal Drainage Board (IDB) uncovered unusual deposits. Although the work lies outside of the planning system, IDB invited Heather Wallis to attend and investigate the deposits.
An approximately east-west aligned ditch was uncovered measuring 0.9m deep and 0.95m wide. It contained four fills; the lowest being a waterlogged silt containing preserved wooden rods laid lengthways along the sides of the ditch and twiggy wood remains in between. A fragment of brick was recovered from this fill. The feature has been interpreted as a faggot-filled drain of late-18th to early-19th century date. This date would be consistent with a period of reclamation of marshland in the Broads and before the introduction of ceramic drainage pipes.
See unpublished report (S1).
A. Beckham (HES), 30 August 2019.