Record Details
| NHER Number: | 43700 |
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| Type of record: | Monument |
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| Name: | Area of probable post medieval turf extraction |
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Summary
An area of probable post medieval extraction has been identified on aerial photographs within the marshes between the River Thurne and Heigham Holmes, Potter Heigham. These are visible as amorphous shaped darker, wetter and slightly sunken areas on the photographs. These cuttings probably represent the piecemeal extraction of surface peat, turf and clay within land allotments based on doles.
Images - none
Location
| Grid Reference: | TG 44779 20493 |
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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 probable post medieval extraction has been identified on aerial photographs within the marshes in-between the River Thurne and Heigham Holmes, Potter Heigham (S1) to (S3). The site is centred on TG 4484 2007 and consists of a concentration of possible former cuttings visible as amorphous shaped darker, wetter and slightly sunken areas on the photographs. These cuttings probably represent the piecemeal extraction of surface peat, turf and clay within land allotments based on doles. A number of the cuttings also have straight edges, such as at TG 4431 1993 and TG 4469 1996. Comparison with the 1801 Potter Heigham Enclosure map (S4) indicates that some of these straight edges line up with the former doles, which were originally narrow strips of common land assigned to a particular individual or family. The elongated allotments marked on the Enclosure map are likely to be a fossilisation of these strips. These spreading of these possible cuttings over several strips may represent the amalgamation of adjacent doles and consolidation of holdings.
To the northeast of the site is a linear area of extraction or possibly the remains of a palaeochannel. The northern end of this feature appears to be canalised and embanked (S2). Given the location the more discrete ‘extraction’ areas could also be natural pools rather than cuttings. A meandering channel is visible running from TG 4559 2122 to TG 4574 2155. The sinuous nature of this feature could suggest that it originated from a natural drainage creek (S3), although it may also have been associated with the ‘Old Drain Mill’ marked at this location on Faden’s map of 1797 (S5). The channel has been recorded individually as NHER 43699. A number of drainage channels are also visible to the west, in particular at TG 4480 1998.
S. Massey (NMP), 29 March 2005.
Monument Types
- CLAY PIT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
- DRAINAGE DITCH (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
- EXTRACTIVE PIT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
- LEAT? (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
- PEAT CUTTING (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
- PEAT EXTRACTION SITE (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/832 4202-3 23-SEP-1945 (Norfolk SMR TG 4420A, TG 4421A). |
| <S2> | Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1963. RAF 543/2331 (F22) 0091-3 25-JUL-1963 (NMR). |
| <S3> | Vertical Aerial Photograph: Meridian Airmaps Limited. 1965. MAL 65080 201-2 19-SEP-1965 (NMR). |
| <S4> | Map: 1801. Potter Heigham Enclosure Map. |
| <S5> | Publication: Faden, W. and Barringer, J. C. 1989. Faden's Map of Norfolk in 1797. |
Related records - none
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