Norfolk Heritage Explorer

Location

Full description

10 July 1987. CUCAP air photography
Positive cropmarks of rectangular enclosure, perhaps Roman.
Photographs not sited by CUCAP, but located by D. Edwards (NLA).
D. Edwards (NLA) 19 June 1990

18 June 1990. NAU air photography.
Further cropmarks of possible Roman settlement, more than one rectangle.
D. Edwards (NAU)

March 2002. Norfolk NMP.
Cropmarks probably dating to Late Iron Age to Roman period visible on Ordnance Survey vertical aerial photographs from 1967 (S1) and NLA oblique aerial photographs from 1990 (S2). The cropmarks form a linear arrangement of co-joined rectilinear enclosures, running from TF 6830 3958 to TF 6854 3934 for 355m. The site appears to run alongside a natural gully in the chalk, leading into the Ringstead Downs river valley. Several ditches appear to have been cut into the top of this valley, the south western one runs from TF 6830 3957 to TF 6937 3950 and the north eastern one from TF 6844 3952 to TF 6840 3964. The main rectangular enclosure is centred at TF 6841 3945 and measures 120m by 60m. The outer ditch is not complete, however sections of it do appear to have been double ditched. These ditches were between 1 to 2m wide and up to 3m apart. Almost offset within this enclosure is another, smaller rectangular enclosure, 98m by 35m. This also has double ditched elements. This enclosure appears to be subdivided into two compartments both 40m by 30m. These internal ditches have quite pronounced gaps along their lengths, these are likely to have been entrances and access into the varying internal areas and enclosures. The space within these enclosures is highly segregated, with the internal ditches defining many small rectilinear areas, approximately 10m by 8m. An additional rectilinear enclosure is co-joined to the east, centred at TF 6849 3939, measuring up to 75m by 50m. Again double ditch elements are visible. Within this larger area several small or rectangular square enclosures were recorded; one at TF 6847 3942, 7m by 11m, another at TF 6849 3940, 10m by 10m and a third at TF 6847 3936, 10m by 8m. Elements of a trackway to the south are also visible, from TF 6853 3931 to TF 6851 3932, the line of which is possible continued by a single ditch running along the same alignment. To the south west at TF 6830 3939 are two rectilinear sections of ditch, the full extent are probably not visible, this may indicate a further area of enclosures. Also a curvilinear feature, 115m long and 1m wide, runs from TF 6838 3950 to TF 6828 3949. This is group of rectilinear enclosures has the appearance of a ladder settlement, where contiguous enclosures are aligned along a linear feature, such as a major trackway. In this case the site seems to be aligned along a natural route through the landscape, which itself may have been augmented by ditches. The high level of internal subdivision of space would indicate that this site represents a settlement, rather than co-joined paddocks and fields, although some of the areas may have been used for this purpose. These sorts of sites are usually Late Iron Age to Romano-British in date, continuing through into the late Roman period. The regularity of this site would indicate a Roman period date.
S. Massey (NMP), 21 March 2002.

Monument Types

• RECTANGULAR ENCLOSURE (Unknown date)
• SITE (Unknown date)
• ENCLOSED SETTLEMENT (Late Iron Age to Roman - 100 BC to 409 AD)
• RECTILINEAR ENCLOSURE (Late Iron Age to Roman - 100 BC to 409 AD)
• TRACKWAY (Late Iron Age to Roman - 100 BC to 409 AD)
• RECTANGULAR ENCLOSURE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• SETTLEMENT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• SITE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Associated Finds - none

Protected Status

• SHINE

Sources and further reading

Related records - none

Find out more...

• Parish Summary: Heacham (Parish Summary)