Record Details
| NHER Number: | 52126 |
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| Type of record: | Monument |
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| Name: | Possible Roman road, part of route from Brampton to Thorpe St Andrew |
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Summary
A series of linear bank features were visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs, which may possibly relate to a section of the Roman road reported to run from Brampton to Thorpe St Andrew (NHER 7598). Trial trenches excavated in 2009 revealed no direct evidence for a Roman road, although a potentially related area of compact ground was noted in one trench. A geophysical survey of an adjacent field in 2012/2013 did however identify linear anomalies that appear to correspond with the previously identified features.
Images - none
Location
| Grid Reference: | TG 2421 1425 |
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| Map Sheet: | TG21SW |
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| Parish: | SPIXWORTH, BROADLAND, NORFOLK |
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| SPROWSTON, BROADLAND, NORFOLK |
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Full description
June 2009. Norfolk NMP.
Undated linear bank features were visible as negative cropmarks on aerial photographs (S1-S3), running north northeast-south southwest from TG 2405 1517 to TG 2437 1332. It is possible that they relate to the Roman road reported to run from Brampton to Thorpe St Andrew (NHER 7598), although the northern-most stretch, including fragments of ditch, visible from TG2402 1547 to TG 2412 1490 shares its alignment with an earthwork thought to represent a medieval to post medieval road (NHER 34202).
In places the linear bank appears to follow field boundaries visible on the 1st edition OS map, but this is not the case for its entire length. It also appears to be cut by a large pit feature (NHER 52127).
E. Bales (NMP), 25 June 2009.
December 2009. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of site on proposed line of Norwich Northern Distributor Road (Site S6).
This work in the field south of Arthurton Road saw the excavation of three trenches across the line of these bank features. Although no features or deposits provided direct evidence for the presence of a Roman road, a potentially related area of compact natural ground was however observed in one of the trenches.
See report (S4) and NHER 61113 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 30 July 2015.
April 2012-April 2013. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometry survey on proposed line of Norwich Northern Distributor Road (Block 54).
This survey of the field immediately to the north of Beeston Lane identified two very low magnitude and fragmented parallel north-to-south aligned linear anomalies that appear to correspond with the cropmark features mapped in this field. It is possible that these anomalies represent flanking ditches, although it should be noted that trenching in the field to the north failed to identify evidence for features of this kind (see above).
See report (S4) and NHER 61135 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 5 August 2015.
Monument Types
- BANK (EARTHWORK) (Undated)
- DITCH (Undated)
- ROAD? (Undated)
- BANK (EARTHWORK) (Roman - 43 AD? to 409 AD?)
- DITCH (Roman - 43 AD? to 409 AD?)
- ROAD? (Roman - 43 AD? to 409 AD?)
Associated Finds - none
Protected Status
Sources and further reading
| <S> | Unpublished Contractor Report: Ames, J. and Sillwood, R. 2012. Archaeological Trial Trench Evaluation of the Norwich Northern Distributor Route. NAU Archaeology. 2073. |
| <S1> | Vertical Aerial Photograph: Hunting Surveys Ltd. 1969. HSL UK/69/855 7301-2 07-APR-1969 (Private collection). |
| <S2> | Vertical Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1969. OS/69252 288-9 13-JUN-1969 (NMR). |
| <S3> | Vertical Aerial Photograph: Google Earth. ? - present. Google Earth Orthophotographs. https://earth.google.com/web. 02-JUL-2006 Accessed 07-MAY-2010. |
| <S4> | Unpublished Contractor Report: Harrison, S. and Webb, A. 2013. Norwich Northern Distributor Road, Norwich, Norfolk. Geophysical Survey. Archaeological Services WYAS. |
Related records
| 34202 | Part of: Possible medieval or post medieval road (Monument) |
| 7598 | Related to: Roman road, Brampton to Thorpe St Andrew (Monument) |