Record Details

NHER Number:42360
Type of record:Monument
Name:Possible medieval or post medieval drains and possible pond or broad

Summary

An extensive group of drains is visible as earthworks, cropmarks and soilmarks on aerial photographs of this area. These features are likely to be medieval or post medieval in date and the intensity of drainage works may reflect the presence of a former pond or broad in the area, as shown on 18th/19th century mapping.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TG 4761 2178
Map Sheet:TG42SE
Parish:SOMERTON, GREAT YARMOUTH, NORFOLK
WINTERTON ON SEA, GREAT YARMOUTH, NORFOLK

Full description

January 2006. Norfolk NMP. Winterton and Somerton Holmes.
An extensive group of former drains is visible as earthworks, cropmarks and soilmarks on aerial photographs (S1 to S21), centred at approximately TG 4767 2180. Although there is no clear dating evidence for the features, most are likely to date to the post medieval period. They may relate to attempts to drain the area of wetter ground formerly occupied by a large pond, depicted on both Faden’s and Bryant’s maps of Norfolk (S22 and S23). The pond may have been a broad, created by the extraction of peat and/or clay in the medieval period, as outlined by Williamson in ‘The Broads’ (S24). The sinuous and curvilinear drains may have originated as natural channels; such features are typically associated with relatively early drainage attempts, perhaps dating back to the medieval period (S25). Towards the southeast corner of the site are two conjoined enclosures and an associated ditch. These are integrated into, and actually form part of, the drainage system described here, but they have also been recorded separately (as NHER 42361) as the presence of enclosures may denote some kind of specialised function for this part of the site. A mound located towards the southwest corner of the site, recorded as NHER 42386, is respected by the surrounding drains but may or may not have formed part of the drainage system. Other drains identified in the surrounding area, for example NHER 42382 and 42385 immediately to the south, may once have joined to the system described here.

For the most part, the mapped drains are not depicted on historic maps. Some elements, such as the segment of northwest to southeast oriented ditch visible between TG 4796 2177 and TG 4806 2170, may correspond with boundaries depicted on Winterton Enclosure Map (S26), in this case with a probable bank, perhaps a sea bank. Others fit the pattern of enclosure depicted on historic Ordnance Survey maps, such as the Ordnance Survey 2nd edition 25 inch (S27 to S28). At TG 4712 2160 and at TG 4768 2194, for example, disused drains mapped by the NMP join to drains depicted on the historic Ordnance Survey maps. Parts of the drainage system may relate to relatively modern features; the narrow drains and pit visible around TG 4751 2160 may be associated with the sluice or similar feature to their east, in the southeast corner of the field. Some of the drains are difficult to distinguish from natural features, as at TG 4719 2193 where several channels (probably originally natural) and possible drains seem to be present, or with the ditch visible between TG 4784 2176 and TG 4789 2165, the archaeological origin of which is uncertain. Other elements may be of recent agricultural origin, such as the ditch visible between TG 4760 2162 and TG 4778 2168, or the partly parallel drains visible between TG 4785 2193 and TG 4792 2192, but as they fit the same pattern as the other mapped drains their archaeological origin cannot be ruled out.

The most recent consulted aerial photographs (S20 and S21) demonstrate that while much of the site has been levelled, some elements may still survive as earthworks.
S. Tremlett (NMP), 12 January 2006.

Monument Types

  • BANK (EARTHWORK) (Unknown date)
  • DITCH (Unknown date)
  • DRAIN (Unknown date)
  • DRAINAGE DITCH (Unknown date)
  • DRAINAGE SYSTEM (Unknown date)
  • BANK (EARTHWORK) (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
  • CLAY PIT? (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • DITCH (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
  • DRAIN (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
  • DRAINAGE DITCH (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
  • DRAINAGE SYSTEM (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
  • PEAT CUTTING? (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • PEAT EXTRACTION SITE? (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • POND (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds - none

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

<S1>Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1944. RAF 106G/LA/17 4001-2 28-MAY-1944 (NMR).
<S2>Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1945. RAF 106G/UK/832 3203-4 23-SEP-1945 (NHER TG 4621A-B).
<S3>Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1945. RAF 106G/UK/859 3118-9 29-SEP-1945 (NMR).
<S4>Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1946. RAF 106G/UK/1634 4048-50 09-JUL-1946 (NHER TG 4821A, TG 4721A & TG 4621D).
<S5>Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1946. RAF CPE/UK/1801 3054-5 25-OCT-1946 (NMR).
<S6>Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1952. RAF 540/690 5349-51 11-MAR-1952 (NMR).
<S7>Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1952. RAF 540/705 5154-6 09-APR-1952 (NMR).
<S8>Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1953. RAF 540/1005 0139-40 04-FEB-1953 (NHER TG 4822C-D).
<S9>Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1963. RAF 543/2331 (F22) 0080-1 25-JUL-1963 (NMR).
<S10>Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1964. RAF 58/6112 (F43) 0111-2 01-JAN-1964 (NMR).
<S11>Vertical Aerial Photograph: Meridian Airmaps Limited. 1965. MAL 65080 112-3 19-SEP-1965 (NMR).
<S12>Vertical Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1972. OS/72018 177-8 15-MAR-1972.
<S13>Vertical Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1972. OS/72053 211-3 23-MAR-1972.
<S14>Oblique Aerial Photograph: CUCAP. 1972. CUCAP (BKL17) 28-SEP-1972.
<S15>Vertical Aerial Photograph: CUCAP. 1973. CUCAP RC8AK178-9 08-JUN-1973.
<S16>Vertical Aerial Photograph: Meridian Airmaps Limited. 1973. MAL 73061 002-5 09-DEC-1973 (NMR).
<S17>Vertical Aerial Photograph: Meridian Airmaps Limited. 1973. MAL 73061 021-3 09-DEC-1973 (NMR).
<S18>Oblique Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1976. NHER TG 4821A-B (NLA 32/AGC14-5) 13-JUL-1976.
<S19>Vertical Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1979. OS/79019 020-1 14-APR-1979.
<S20>Vertical Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1981. OS/81082 192-4 17-AUG-1981 (NMR).
<S21>Vertical Aerial Photograph: Environment Agency. 2002. EA 041 AF/02C/339 7019-20 22-JUL-2002 (EA).
<S22>Publication: Faden, W. and Barringer, J. C. 1989. Faden's Map of Norfolk in 1797.
<S23>Map: Bryant, A.. 1826. Bryant's Map of Norfolk.
<S24>Monograph: Williamson, T.. 1997. The Norfolk Broads: A Landscape History.. pp 86-7.
<S25>Monograph: Williamson, T.. 1997. The Norfolk Broads: A Landscape History.. pp 64-5.
<S26>Map: Glegg and Pratt. 1811. Winterton Enclosure Map.
<S27>Map: Ordnance Survey. 1902-7. Ordnance Survey second edition 25" (1902-7) Sheet XLII. 13. 25" to 1'.
<S28>Map: Ordnance Survey. 1902-7. Ordnance Survey second edition 25" (1902-7) Sheet XLII. 14. 25" to 1'.

Related records

42361Parent of: Probably post medieval enclosures at Winterton Holmes (Monument)

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