Record Details
| NHER Number: | 33770 |
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| Type of record: | Monument |
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| Name: | Roman trackway, enclosure boundaries and pottery sherds, Syderstone Common |
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Summary
Aerial photography from 1946 recorded a series of parallel ditches. A site visit in 1998 noted a double banked and ditched 'trackway', and a large number of Roman pottery sherds were recovered from the area. The linear features shown on the aerial photograph may be post medieval, but it is thought that they are Roman features, forming a trackway and part of an enclosure boundary.
Images - none
Location
| Grid Reference: | TF 8274 3210 |
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| Map Sheet: | TF83SW |
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| Parish: | SYDERSTONE, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK |
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Full description
July 1946. RAF aerial photograph.
Shows series of north-northeast to south-southwest aligned parallel ditches with one feature at right angles to south-east.
August 1998.
Visit noted variable preservation of a double banked and ditched 'trackway' of around 18m overall width, continuing to thicker vegetation to south as an around 8m feature. Junction of two forms unclear. Double bank and ditch leading southeast may return to north but soon deteriorates. Thick vegetation to south-east precludes further investigation until winter. Recent fire has enabled bare soil in area to be perused and various Roman pottery finds are noted. The linear features may be post medieval, but what are they doing on apparently unenclosed common - on Faden (S1) as such. Possible Roman features, trackway and part enclosure boundary. Further visit when vegetation is clearer may provide further information.
Pottery finds:
Context 1. Area around 50m square but rather irregular due to availability of bare soil. All Roman greyware:
Two joining large sherds of amphora, heavily modified by recent fire. One storage jar body sherd. Nineteen body sherds, some partly oxidised. One scrap, oxidised body sherd. One shelly jar rim fragment. Four jar/bowl rims. Also one fragment brick/tile, Roman.
Context 2. All Roman greyware: one body sherd burnt oxidised, ?red slipped. One body sherd shelly. Two body sherds.
Context 3. All Roman greyware: one base. Two body sherds.
Context 4. All Roman greyware: one base. Four body sherds.
Identified by A. Rogerson (NLA).
Compiled by B. Cushion (NLA), 11 August 1998.
January 1999. Further finds within context 1 by A. Rogerson (NLA) and B. Cushion (NLA).
One flint flake.
Roman pottery: one body sherd Nene Valley colour coated, one base and seven body sherds greyware. Four bodysherds Roman or medieval.
Site extended to southeast - wll be surveyed to provide extent.
Considered by A. Rogerson and B. Cushion (NLA) to be plausible as Roman field system and possible track ways.
Compiled by B. Cushion (NLA), 4 Feburary 1999.
Monument Types
- BANK (EARTHWORK) (Unknown date)
- CAUSEWAY (Unknown date)
- DRAINAGE DITCH (Unknown date)
- TRACKWAY (Unknown date)
- FIELD SYSTEM (Roman - 43 AD? to 409 AD?)
- TRACKWAY (Roman - 43 AD? to 409 AD?)
Associated Finds
- FLAKE (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
- LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
- BRICK (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
- POT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
- TILE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
- POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
Protected Status
Sources and further reading
| --- | Aerial Photograph: TF 83/TF 8232/A. |
| <S1> | Publication: Faden, W. and Barringer, J. C. 1989. Faden's Map of Norfolk in 1797. |
Related records - none
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