Norfolk Heritage Explorer

Location

Full description

September 2006. Norfolk NMP.
A causeway and/or flood bank is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs (S1)-(S2), between TG 3994 1615 and TG 4007 1592. Its southern end, which is flanked by ditches, leads towards and is quite clearly associated with Thurne Mill (NHER 8554). The two are almost certainly contemporary. The southern part of the bank crosses what appears to be a roughly rectilinear area of lower and wetter ground, the extent of which has been mapped. This might represent a former extractive pit, possibly for peat but more probably for clay, given the general absence of peaty soils from this part of the Thurne Valley (see Williamson 1997 (S3), for example). The extraction could pre-date the mill by some time, although is is almost certainly post Roman. If the pit was a peat cutting it probably dates to the medieval period. Alternatively, if it was for clay it may well have provided material for the mill’s construction, and therefore is also of 19th century date. The northern part of the bank, which lacks flanking ditches, could merely be the modern ‘wall’ for the parallel dyke to its west. Whether any earthworks still survive at the site is not known.
S. Tremlett (NMP), 27 September 2006.

Monument Types

• CLAY PIT (Post Roman - 410 AD to 1900 AD)
• EXTRACTIVE PIT (Post Roman - 410 AD to 1900 AD)
• EXTRACTIVE PIT (Medieval - 1066 AD? to 1539 AD?)
• PEAT CUTTING? (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• PEAT EXTRACTION SITE? (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• BANK (EARTHWORK) (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• CAUSEWAY (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• CLAY PIT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• EXTRACTIVE PIT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• FLOOD DEFENCES (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds - none

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

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