Record Details
| NHER Number: | 27280 |
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| Type of record: | Monument |
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| Name: | Possible former medieval clay and peat extraction |
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Summary
An area of possible former medieval clay and possibly peat extraction has been identified on aerial photographs within the marshes at Heigham Holmes, Potter Heigham. These are visible as amorphous shaped darker, wetter and slightly sunken areas on the photographs. Many of these appear to be linked by channels. Other areas showing these characteristics have proved, through historic map evidence, to have been former Broads, created through medieval peat and clay extraction, such as at Eastfield Marsh (NHER 35363) and Cotton’s Marsh (NHER 32157). These features at Heigham Holmes appear to be cut through by a series of late medieval to post-medieval drainage dykes and boundaries (HER 27281), indicating that the extraction must pre-date these boundaries.
Images - none
Location
| Grid Reference: | TG 44542 20733 |
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| Map Sheet: | TG42SW |
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| Parish: | POTTER HEIGHAM, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK |
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Full description
March 2005. Norfolk NMP.
An area of possible former medieval clay and possibly peat extraction has been identified on aerial photographs within the marshes at Heigham Holmes, Potter Heigham (S1-2). The site is centred on TG 4466 2085 and consists of a concentration of possible former cuttings visible as amorphous shaped darker, wetter and slightly sunken areas on the photographs. Many of these appear to be linked by channels. These possible cuttings vary in size from 200m across to as narrow as 20m. Although it is possible that these wetter areas are the remains of natural pools on ground liable to flood, other areas exhibiting the same characteristics have proved, through historic map evidence, to be former Broads, such as at Eastfield Marsh (HER 35363) and Cotton’s Marsh (HER 32157). Other nearby Broads, such as Horsey (HER 13507) and Heigham Sounds (HER 8387), are thought to largely be the product of clay extraction (S4; p 87), although some peat existed within the deposits (S5; p45).
In 1945-6 areas of standing water are visible within the larger spreads, such as at TG 4420 2105 and TG 4488 2095 (S1-2). These pools and extraction areas only tend to be visible on the earlier aerial photographs, in particular those taken in the 1940’s. The lack of visibility and shrinking of some of these features on the later aerial photographs is indicative of the continued silting and drainage of these cuttings (S3).
Extraction of surface peat and turf continued throughout the post-medieval also and a group of similar extraction features to the immediate south (NHER 43700) are thought to be post-medieval. However these pits at Heigham Holmes appear to be cut through by a series of late medieval to post-medieval drainage dykes and boundaries (HER 27281), indicating that the extraction must pre-date these boundaries.
S. Massey (NMP), 29 March 2005.
Monument Types
- CLAY PIT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- PEAT CUTTING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- PEAT EXTRACTION SITE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
Associated Finds - none
Protected Status
Sources and further reading
| <S1> | Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1945. RAF 106G/UK/832 4202-3 23-SEP-1945 (Norfolk SMR TG 4420A, TG 4421A). |
| <S2> | Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1946. RAF 106G/UK/1634 4052-3 09-JUL-1946 (NHER TG 4421C, TG 4521A). |
| <S3> | Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1963. RAF 543/2331 (F22) 0076-7 25-JUL-1963 (NMR). |
| <S4> | Monograph: Williamson, T.. 1997. The Norfolk Broads: A Landscape History.. p 87. |
| <S5> | Monograph: Lambert, J.M. & Jennings, J.N.. 1960. The Making of the Broads: A Reconsideration of their Origin in the Light of New Evidence.. |
| <S6> | Map: James Wright. 1840. Potter Heigham Tithe Map. 3 chains: 1 inch. |
Related records - none
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