Norfolk Heritage Explorer

Location

Full description

'Ring ditch and enclosures' claimed on St.Joseph's list of air photographs at this very approximate grid reference.

THE CENTRAL GRID REFERENCE FOR THE SITE HAS BEEN ALTERED FROM TM 4601 9542 TO TM 4594 9539.

July 2006. Norfolk NMP.
The cropmarks of enclosures, a field system and a trackway of unknown, but possible late prehistoric to Roman date are visible on aerial photographs within arable land surrounding Sandy Lane, Aldeby (S1-S7).These features are likely to represent a small settlement or farmstead. The site is centred on TM 4594 9539. A possible Roman farmstead or group of enclosures sits within the area of this site (NHER 44888). These ditches are aligned slightly differently and are therefore likely to be of a different date. It is possible that the fields and trackway are earlier than the more regular Roman enclosures, although this is not certain. Roman finds have been recorded within close proximity to both sites, see NHER 23713 and 24557 for details.

The ditches recorded under this site all broadly follow a NE-SW or NW-SE alignment. The cropmarks are quite fragmentary in places, making the interpretation of some components of the site potentially tenuous. There appears to be a large rectilinear enclosure, centred on TM 4585 9540, possibly measuring 120m by 140m, although the western edge is not as well defined, possible partly due to the presence of the Roman enclosure (NHER 44888) on top, although as mentioned above this relationship is not certain. The enclosure appears to be defined by double ditches along much of the perimeter, although again the cropmarks are fragmentary. A trackway appears to lead towards this enclosure from the northeast, the course of which is quite irregular.

To the immediate south of the main enclosure is an area of highly subdivided land, in particular centred on TM 4575 9532. This density of ditches may represent a palimpsest and some of the ditches may have been in use at different times. This high level of subdivision probably indicates that specific activities were taking place within this area and this may be domestic, agricultural or even industrial. The relative lack of this sort of internal subdivision within the eastern part of the site may indicate that these enclosures were possibly used for agricultural or stock rearing purposes.

At TM 4579 9528 on the eastern edge of this cluster of ditches is a small ring ditch, 5m in diameter (S3). The location of this feature within a probable settlement could suggest that it is the eavesdrip gully of a round house associated with the occupation. Although 5m diameter is quite small for a prehistoric roundhouse. It may be the remains of a small hut, not necessarily used for occupation, or perhaps the remains of an agricultural structure, such as a stackstand. A similarly small ring ditch is located within an enclosure and possible Roman settlement located approximately 2km to the southeast (NHER 16005).

Another area of highly subdivided land is recorded to the north of Sandy Lane, centred on TM 4586 9558 (S1-S2), although this does not appear to be associated with a group of enclosures, as is the case to the south. However this may be due to the lack of cropmark response in this area when the oblique aerial photographs were taken in 1976 (S3) and 1980 (S5), when the fields to the south were showing very clear cropmarks.

To the east of the main enclosure and trackway is a series of parallel, elongated enclosures, probably fields. The majority of the ditches recorded within the eastern part of the site have been interpreted as field boundaries. Although it is possible that some of the enclosed areas were also used for occupation. Some of these appear to be double ditched and are likely to represent fragments of trackways running in-between the fields.

Some of the ditches grouped together under this site, appear to be parallel or perpendicular to elements of the post medieval landscape, in particular field boundaries marked on the Ordnance Survey second edition map (S8) (1902-7, 25 inch), but now removed. Cropmark field boundaries, such as that running from TM 4590 9536 to TM 4604 9529 and from TM 4578 9529 to TM 4579 9532, would fit well into the post medieval field layout. The trackway also partially coincides with a footpath, again marked on the map. However given the nature and appearance of the enclosures and fields it seems very unlikely that these all date to the post medieval period. They also show no obvious relationship to the other cropmark field boundaries mapped, which have also been interpreted as being post medieval in date (NHER 44887).
S. Massey (NMP), 25 July 2006.

Monument Types

• ENCLOSURE (Unknown date)
• FIELD BOUNDARY (Unknown date)
• FIELD SYSTEM (Unknown date)
• RECTILINEAR ENCLOSURE (Unknown date)
• RING DITCH (Unknown date)
• STACK STAND? (Unknown date)
• TRACKWAY (Unknown date)
• ENCLOSURE (Early Bronze Age to Roman - 2350 BC to 409 AD?)
• FIELD BOUNDARY (Early Bronze Age to Roman - 2350 BC to 409 AD?)
• FIELD SYSTEM (Early Bronze Age to Roman - 2350 BC to 409 AD?)
• RECTILINEAR ENCLOSURE (Early Bronze Age to Roman - 2350 BC to 409 AD?)
• RING DITCH (Early Bronze Age to Roman - 2350 BC to 409 AD?)
• ROUND HOUSE (DOMESTIC)? (Early Bronze Age to Roman - 2350 BC to 409 AD?)
• STACK STAND? (Early Bronze Age to Roman - 2350 BC to 409 AD?)
• TRACKWAY (Early Bronze Age to Roman - 2350 BC to 409 AD?)

Associated Finds - none

Protected Status

• SHINE

Sources and further reading

Related records

Find out more...

• Parish Summary: Aldeby (Parish Summary)