Record Details

NHER Number:36870
Type of record:Monument
Name:Post medieval sea defence bank

Summary

An eroded sea defence bank and a possible trackway are visible on aerial photographs

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TF 91914 44114
Map Sheet:TF94SW
Parish:WELLS NEXT THE SEA, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

1970. Ordnance Survey air photography.
Sea bank earthwork, recorded on (S1).
See NMP plot in file.
A. Miller (Suffolk County Council NMP).
D. Gurney (NLA), 13 February 2002.

October 2002. Norfolk NMP.
Leading off from the south end of the bank are a few shortish stretches of ditch (on same alignment) possibly once forming the edges of ditched trackway/droveway? More and clearer examples of which can be seen to the east (see NHER 36871). (Mapped by A Miller, but not mentioned on his recording).
H. Clare (NMP), 30 October 2002.

May-November 2004. Norfolk Rapid Coastal Zone Archaeological Survey.
Inter-tidal survey (Environmental Zone 10), Context 904:
A structure was recorded amongst Wells saltmarshes. It was formed from five or six rows of timber posts, between three of which spreads of large flint nodules were present. In a number of places patches of horizontally laid wattling were identified. An 18th to 19th century brick fragment was collected. Either side of the structure, between TF 91874 44008 and TF 91917 44069, was a low linear rise in the saltmarsh (it was no more than 0.2m high). This suggested the presence of a bank, and that the posts, flint and wattling were its eroding internal structure. Maps from 1782 and 1784 show a sea defence bank in this location, one which is more than likely to be it ((S3-4), in (S5-6)).
See assessment report (S7) for further details.
The associated archive has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2017.421).
J. Allen (NLA), 19 April 2005. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 21 July 2019.

Monument Types

  • CAUSEWAY (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • DITCH (Post Medieval - 1540 AD? to 1900 AD?)
  • SEA DEFENCES (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • TRACKWAY (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds - none

Protected Status

  • SHINE

Sources and further reading

---Map: Ordnance Survey. 1824-1836. Ordnance Survey First Edition 1 inch..
---Map: NMP Plot.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
<S1>Map: Ordnance Survey. 1836. 1st edition OS.
<S2>Vertical Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1970. OS/70008 130-2 19-MAR-1970.
<S3>Map: Biederman. 1780. NRO MS 486.
<S4>Map: NRO MS 21133.
<S5>Publication: Barney, J.. 2000. The Trials of Wells Harbour. p 9.
<S6>Unpublished Document: Ringwood, I.. 2003. NSCS 3 - Norfolk and Suffolk Coastal Survey - Documentary Evidence - Norfolk.
<S7>Unpublished Contractor Report: Robertson, D., Crawley, P., Barker, A., and Whitmore, S. 2005. Norfolk Rapid Coastal Zone Archaeological Survey. Assessment Report and Updated Project Design. Norfolk Archaeological Unit. 1045.

Related records - none

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