Record Details
| NHER Number: | 26902 |
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| Type of record: | Monument |
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| Name: | Post medieval ridge and furrow and sea defence bank |
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Summary
An area of post medieval ridge and furrow and a post medieval sea defence bank are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs.
Images - none
Location
| Grid Reference: | TF 7304 4370 |
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| Map Sheet: | TF74SW |
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| Parish: | THORNHAM, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK |
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Full description
January 2001, NMP.
An area of ridge and furrow is visible as an earthwork at TF 730 436 on 1945 APs (S1) and 1972 APs (S2). It is fairly narrow and regular, which would suggest a post medieval date. To the north of this feature is an earthwork bank, also visible on 1945 APs, at TF 7282 4380 to TF 7325 4373. The bank is about 500m in length, shares characteristics with banks NHER 26901 and 26762, and forms a boundary between the saltmarshes and cultivated land. These factors suggest that it is part of the post medieval sea defence/land reclamation which was occurring in the area. This is further supported by the depiction of the bank on the 2nd edition OS map of 1905 (S3) and on Bryant's 1826 map (S4). A number of ditches can also be seen in this area on the APs. Most appear to be drainage ditches, although some are quite short. At TF 731 437, there is a group of four 'rectangular' ditches, which may also have been for drainage. A rectangular bank can be seen at TF 7312 4371 - TF 7312 4368, abutting the main bank feature - again function and date are unclear.
A. Hunt (NMP), 25 January 2001.
May-November 2004. Norfolk Rapid Coastal Zone Archaeological Survey.
Inter-tidal survey (Environmental Zone 7), Context 1036:
Modern sea bank located on the southern edge of Thornham saltmarshes. It may overlie an earlier bank.
See assessment report (S5) for further details.
The associated archive has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2017.421).
J. Allen (NLA), 15 April 2005. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 21 July 2019.
Monument Types
- BANK (EARTHWORK) (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
- DITCH (Post Medieval to 21st Century - 1540 AD to 2100 AD)
- LAND RECLAMATION? (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
- RIDGE AND FURROW (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
- SEA DEFENCES? (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
Associated Finds - none
Protected Status
Sources and further reading
| <S1> | Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1945. RAF 106G/UK 369 Frames 4275-4276, 4189 8-JUN-1945 (NMR). |
| <S2> | Vertical Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1972. OS/72005 066 12-MAR-1972. |
| <S3> | Map: Ordnance Survey. 1905. OS 2nd Edition 25" 1905 Sheets I.15 & VI.3. |
| <S4> | Map: Bryant, A.. 1826. Bryant's Map of Norfolk. |
| <S5> | 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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