Norfolk Heritage Explorer

Location

Full description

November 2002 - January 2003. Geophysical, metal detecting and fieldwalking survey. Bacton to King's Lynn pipeline plot 12.
The geophysical survey recorded anomalies that could correspond with or be associated with former field boundaries shown on the 1841 tithe map and 1885 ordnance survey map. Fieldwalking recovered post-medieval finds including ceramic building material, fragment bottle glass, fragment of clay pipe and pottery. Metal detecting found a post-medieval copper alloy suspension ring and the bowl of a lead measuring spoon.
See (S1).
S. Howard (NLA), 2010.

December 2004. Norfolk NMP.
Cropmarks of a trackway, enclosures and a field system of possible Roman or Saxon date are visible on aerial photographs (S1). These cropmarks are centred on TG 3087 3305. A ditch defined trackway extends for at least 260m on a southwest to northeast alignment between TG 3060 3282 and TG 3082 3295, with a single ditch probably continuing its course for a further 200m. Adjoining the northwest side of the trackway at TG 3085 3300 is an incomplete rectangular enclosure, which measures 56m by 44m. Further to the southwest around TG 3069 3287 are a group of small fields arranged perpendicular to the trackway. These cropmarks are fragmentary and only one field, measuring 54m by 44m, can be defined with any certainty. However, field boundary ditches suggest that this group of fields extends for at least 120m to the northwest and 85m southeast of the trackway. These fields and the trackway appear to be part of a larger field system, which is only partly visible as cropmarks. Ditches on a parallel and perpendicular alignment to the trackway are present over an area extending for 720m southwest to northeast and 600m from northwest to southeast. One of these field boundaries, which includes a double ditched section, crosses the Paston and Knapton parish boundary at TG 3066 3312. A further ditch, aligned perpendicular to it, appears to cross the parish boundary 100m further to the north. Two short sections of parallel ditches, one adjoining this ditch at TG 3061 3318 and another at TG 3073 3298, could represent parts of a narrow trackway aligned perpendicular to the main trackway. The arrangement of this group of cropmarks, with small enclosures along the main trackway and apparently larger fields further away may represent a linear settlement and associated field system. The fact that this field system appears to cross the parish boundary, suggests that it is of an earlier, possibly Roman or Saxon, date. The alignment of these features is similar to, and probably contemporary with, field system cropmarks recorded to the southwest (NHER 39009) and south (NHER 39014, 39017). Ditches on different alignments that do not appear relate to this field system are present at TG 3093 3304, TG 3100 3309 and elsewhere within this group of cropmarks. The visibility of cropmarks in this area was determined by crop and soil types, with apparently blank areas in the distribution resulting from these factors.
(S2)
J. Albone (NMP), 6 December 2004

Monument Types

• ENCLOSURE (Unknown date)
• FIELD SYSTEM (Unknown date)
• RECTILINEAR ENCLOSURE (Unknown date)
• SETTLEMENT? (Unknown date)
• TRACKWAY (Unknown date)
• COAXIAL FIELD SYSTEM (Roman to Late Saxon - 43 AD to 1065 AD)
• ENCLOSURE (Roman to Late Saxon - 43 AD to 1065 AD)
• FIELD SYSTEM (Roman to Late Saxon - 43 AD to 1065 AD)
• RECTILINEAR ENCLOSURE (Roman to Late Saxon - 43 AD to 1065 AD)
• SETTLEMENT? (Roman to Late Saxon - 43 AD to 1065 AD)
• TRACKWAY (Roman to Late Saxon - 43 AD to 1065 AD)
• FINDSPOT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds

• BOTTLE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• BUILDING MATERIAL (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• CLAY PIPE (SMOKING) (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• POT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status

• SHINE

Sources and further reading

Related records - none

Find out more...

• Parish Summary: Knapton (Parish Summary)
• Parish Summary: Paston (Parish Summary)