NHER 68201 (Cropmark and Earthwork) - Earthworks (mostly levelled) and cropmarks of medieval to post medieval fields and possible settlement features in vicinity of Old Hall Farm

April 2024. Wendling Beck and Fransham Aerial Investigation and Mapping (AIM) Project.
Field boundaries, possible enclosures, and possible settlement features of medieval to post medieval date, are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs taken in 1946 (S1) and cropmarks on aerial photographs taken in 2006 (S2). More recent aerial photographs from 2022 (S3) and visualised lidar data from a survey flown in 2017 (S4) show that while some remnants may still survive as low earthworks, many parts of the site have been levelled. The features form part of a swathe of earthworks of broadly medieval to post medieval date located along Watery Lane. This record relates to part of a southern cluster, surrounding the 17th century Old Hall Farm (NHER 2886). While most elements appear to be agricultural in character, the site could include some settlement features. Changes in character and alignment across the site suggest that more than one phase of land division is represented. Finds recovered from these fields (NHER 53144, 53145 and 53146) and the area to the north (NHER 53143) include significant quantities of Roman material, and a Roman date for some elements of the site cannot be ruled out. Also, some features could be drains as well as or instead of boundaries.
S. Tremlett (Norfolk Historic Environment Service), 12 April 2024.