Record Details

NHER Number:16287
Type of record:Monument
Name:Cropmarks and earthworks of a road, enclosures and green of medieval to post medieval date

Summary

Cropmarks and earthworks of roads, enclosures and a former green associated with late Saxon to post medieval settlement are visible on aerial photographs. A curving road is visible, which widens into a green at its western end. This formed part of Fair Green and was shown on Faden's 1797 Map of Norfolk. A series of enclosures, some of which probably relate to common-edge settlement, are present alongside the road. Fragments of Late Saxon pottery have been found at this site.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TF 6633 1698
Map Sheet:TF61NE
Parish:MIDDLETON, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

12 July 1974. NAU air photography.
Cropmarks of possible village green complex south of Old Hall Farm.
D. Edwards (NAU) 13 June 1980.

March 1965.
Thetford ware found here.
Information from (S1).

(S1) also has 'Roman Villa' written across this field but no further information.
E. Rose (NAU) 27 May 1981.
(Now renumbered as NHER 51270)

February 2008. Norfolk NMP
Cropmarks and earthworks of roads, enclosures and a former green associated with late Saxon to post medieval settlement are visible on aerial photographs (S2-S5). The area of this site has been extended to include all associated cropmarks and earthworks. This site forms part of a larger group of cropmarks and earthworks that continues to the northwest with further earthworks at Old Hall (NHER 11962) and to its west (NHER 31090).

Cropmarks of a curving road extend from the southeast corner of the site at TF 6664 1684 to the western end at TF 6606 1682. The road widens into a green towards its western end. The area of the green is not fully visible and had been partly quarried away by 1946 (S5). It appears to be the corner of Fair Green, which lies mainly to the west of the site and formed part of Middleton Common. The road is shown on Faden’s 1797 county map leading into the area of common land (S6). Both the road and the common had been removed by the time of Bryant’s 1826 map (S7). A second road branches off to the southeast of the main curving road towards its western end. The curving road is partly visible as hollow way cropmarks with other sections defined by parallel roadside ditches. Negative cropmarks, relating to the metalled or compacted surface of the road, are present along some sections of its length.

Either side of the main road are a series of rectilinear enclosures. These are most clearly visible as earthworks to the north of the road, between it and the Old Hall (NHER 11962). At least some of the earthworks immediately to the east of the Old Hall appear to still survive. A group at least seven adjoining rectangular and sub-rectangular enclosures are present and range in size from 25m by 11m to 58m square. An incomplete D-shaped, curvilinear enclosure is also present to the south of the Old Hall in the northwest corner of the group. Additional enclosures are present to the south of the main road. It is likely that some of the enclosures are of late Saxon to post medieval date and relate to settlement of this date range. One group of enclosures in the eastern half of the group of cropmarks appears to be crossed by the line of the curving road. However, these enclosures also appear to be aligned with a post medieval field boundary cropmark. This field boundary and others in the northeast corner of the group are marked on the 1838 Middleton tithe map (S8) and it is possible that they postdate the removal of the road.

Previous recording of this site lists it as a possible Roman villa (see above). Although a Roman coin has been found nearby (NHER 28290), there is no evidence to support this interpretation and the monument type has been renumbered as NHER 51270.
J. Albone (NMP), 05 February 2008.

Monument Types

  • DITCH (Unknown date)
  • FINDSPOT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • SETTLEMENT (Late Saxon to 19th Century - 851 AD to 1900 AD)
  • CURVILINEAR ENCLOSURE (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
  • FIELD BOUNDARY (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
  • HOLLOW WAY? (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
  • RECTILINEAR ENCLOSURE (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
  • ROAD (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
  • VILLAGE GREEN (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD? to 1900 AD?)

Associated Finds

  • POT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)

Protected Status

  • SHINE

Sources and further reading

---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
<S1>Map: King's Lynn Museum. KLM 6 inch Record Map.
<S2>Oblique Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1974. NHER TF 6616A (NLA 13/ADE5) 12-JUL-1974.
<S3>Oblique Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1974. NHER TF 6616B (NLA 13/SLIDE) 12-JUL-1974.
<S4>Vertical Aerial Photograph: Meridian Airmaps Limited. 1976. MAL 76044 10-1 13-JUN-1976 (NMR).
<S5>Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1946. RAF 3G/TUD/UK/51 5131-2 31-JAN-1946 (NHER TF 6617A / TF 6617C).
<S6>Publication: Faden, W. and Barringer, J. C. 1989. Faden's Map of Norfolk in 1797.
<S7>Map: Bryant, A.. 1826. Bryant's Map of Norfolk.
<S8>Map: Utting, J.. 1838. Middleton tithe map..

Related records - none

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