Record Details

NHER Number:52485
Type of record:Monument
Name:Site of medieval or post medieval post mill, and perhaps also of Bronze Age round barrow

Summary

A ring ditch, visible as a cropmark on aerial photographs, has a distinctive cross-shaped mark at its centre, indicating that it is likely to be the site of a medieval or post medieval post mill. The site lies, however, amongst a large group of dispersed ring ditches (NHER 53403), some of which have been demonstrated by excavation to be Bronze Age round barrows. It is therefore possible that the post mill was sited on top of an earlier barrow, making use of the existing mound. The ring ditch overlies or, more probably, is overlain by a linear ditch; this forms part of a large group of ditched boundaries (NHER 52489) which appear to represent several phases of field systems and trackways.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TG 2424 0541
Map Sheet:TG20NW
Parish:BIXLEY, SOUTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

February 2010. Norfolk NMP.
The cropmarks recorded below were previously recorded as part (context 1) of NHER 9585.
A ring ditch is visible as a cropmark on aerial photographs (S1)-(S12), centred at TG 2424 0541; it should be noted that the polygon relating the designation of this site as a Scheduled Monument falls some 77.5m further to the east. A cross-shaped mark at the centre of the ring ditch indicates that it was the site of a medieval and/or post-medieval post mill. However, the site lies on the southeastern edge of the probable remains of a dispersed Bronze Age round barrow cemetery (NHER 53403), and it is entirely possible that the post mill was sited on the pre-existing mound of a round barrow. This type of reuse has been noted elsewhere in Norfolk, for example NHER 27353 at Ormesby St Margaret. The ring ditch overlies or, more probably, is overlain by a linear ditch, orientated north-south; another ditch, orientated northwest-southeast, just clips and perhaps respects the northeast side of the ring ditch. These are both part of a large group of ditched boundaries (NHER 52489) which appear to represent several phases of field systems and trackways.
The ring ditch is circular in plan and measures 26m in diameter. The ditch circuit has been mapped as being complete, although it is very indistinct on its northern side, where it crosses a palaeochannel or similar geological feature, and on its western side, where it is very faint suggesting that there might have once been a causeway on this side. This is particularly the case on (S5), on which the ‘terminals’ on each side of the missing/invisible section of ditch have a vaguely swollen, hengiform appearance, although it is still just about possible to make out the faint continuation of the ditch.
It should be noted that due to the topography and the nature of the available control points the rectification of even vertical aerial photographs for this area was problematic, and this is likely to have affected the accuracy of the mapping.
S. Tremlett (NMP), 11 February 2010.

Monument Types

  • RING DITCH (Unknown date)
  • RING DITCH (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
  • ROUND BARROW (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
  • POST MILL (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
  • RING DITCH (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
  • WINDMILL MOUND (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds - none

Protected Status

  • Scheduled Monument
  • SHINE

Sources and further reading

<S1>Oblique Aerial Photograph: Norfolk and Norwich Aeroclub. 1933. NHER TG 2405V (Norfolk & Norwich Aero Club A16) XX-XXX-1933.
<S2>Oblique Aerial Photograph: CUCAP. 1957. CUCAP (VU48-9) 18-JUL-1957.
<S3>Oblique Aerial Photograph: CUCAP. 1957. NHER TG 2405ADS (CUCAP VT88) 18-JUL-1957.
<S4>Vertical Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1964. OS/64206 70-1 22-SEP-1964 (NMR).
<S5>Oblique Aerial Photograph: CUCAP. 1974. CUCAP (BPV29-30) 04-JUN-1974.
<S6>Oblique Aerial Photograph: NLA. 1974. NHER TG 2405P-Q (NLA 9/ACF18, 20) 02-JUL-1974.
<S7>Oblique Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1975. NHER TG 2405M-N (NLA 17/ADN13-4) 21-JUN-1975.
<S8>Oblique Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1989. NHER TG 2405ACQ-R (NLA 244/DRB13-4) 20-JUL-1989.
<S9>Oblique Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1989. NHER TG 2405ABW (NLA 245/DNX11) 22-AUG-1989.
<S10>Oblique Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1990. NHER TG 2405ACH-J (NLA 262/GAD11-2) 13-JUN-1990.
<S11>Oblique Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1990. NHER TG 2405ACU-V (NLA 265/GAY5-6) 20-JUN-1990.
<S12>Oblique Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1991. NHER TG 2405ABX-Y (NLA 290/GGT1-2) 12-JUN-1991.

Related records

53403Part of: Site of Late Neolithic to Early Bronze Age barrow cemetery (Monument)
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