Norfolk Heritage Explorer

Location

Full description

6 July 1977, 16 June 1989. NAU aerial photography.
Cropmarks of two ring ditches. One being large with adjacent smaller ring ditch having another superimposed on it. Or subcircular appended enclosure.
Site located on edge of/adjacent to Gravel Concession nos.MW12 and MW259.
D. Edwards (NAU) 28 November 1980.

1984. Fieldwalking. Location [1].
Centre third of field produced medieval sherd, possible Thetford type sherd, lead glazed earthenware and stoneware sherds, clay pipe stems, struck flint.
West third produced worked flint, medieval sherds, lead glazed earthenware, clay pipe stems.
Eastern third produced medieval unglazed sherds, worked flints.
Some material retained by landowner.
W. Milligan (NCM) 31 May 1984.

Before 7 May 1993.
Late medieval copper alloy signet ring, oval bezel, engraved with three motifs, possibly three dividers or three shears.
Identified by S.M. Margeson (NCM) May 1993.
W. Milligan (NCM) 18 May 1993.

January/February 1994. Metal detecting. Context 2 at [2].
10th century bronze Borre-style disc brooch. Lug and catchplate broken to studs on reverse. Lug is parallel to edge.
Identified by S. Margeson (NCM).
See (S4).
A. Rogerson (NLA) 18 April 1994.

May/June 1994. Metal detecting.
Six Roman coins.
Fourteen medieval, nine post medieval coins, eight post medieval tokens.
Identified by J. Davies (NCM).
See list in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA) 11 November 1994.

1994. Metal detecting at [3].
Iron Age mini terret, bronze, plain. Flat on one side.
Identified by J. Davies (NCM).
See (S5) and (S6).
A. Rogerson (NLA) 14 November 1994.

April/May 1995. Metal detecting.
Foot of Early Saxon period radiate brooch broken at both ends. Ring-and-dot on central rib between zig-zag panels. Hint of catch-plate junction on reverse. Drawn. Photograph.
Part of Early Saxon girdle-hanger, loop at top worn through; transverse grooves above upper part of a mask motif with protruding eyes (as on cruciform brooches) part way down what would normally be the divided nostrils the shank becomes quite plain. Old break worn smooth. Photograph.
A. Rogerson (NLA) 5 June 1995.

Before 28 March 2003. Metal detecting.
Early Saxon brooch.
Post medieval strap-end and odd post medieval object.
See descriptions with NGRs in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA) 28 April 2003.

September 2010. Air Photo Interpretation.
At least three, possibly four ring ditches, along with a number of undated linear ditch features are visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs (S1-S2) on land to the south of Hall Farm, Tasburgh.
The largest of these possible ring ditches, as described above, is centred on TM 1956 9540, and has an external diameter of approximately 22m. There is a possible entrance, or break in the ditch, visible on the east side at TM 1957 2941.
A smaller (approximately 15m in external diameter) ring ditch is visible, centred on TM 1952 9540, 37m to the west. This, too, exhibits a possible entrance on its eastern side at TM 1953 2940, and it appears to be superimposed over a third possible ring ditch, which appears to measure approximately 15m in external diameter, and is centred on TM 1953 9540.
Whilst it is possible that these features may be geological in origin, as they are slightly ephemeral in nature, and only visible on photographs from one year (S1), it is more likely that they represent the levelled remains of Bronze Age burial mounds, given their proximity to (600m to the south of) the River Tas.
A fourth possible ring ditch is visible, although faintly only on photographs from a later year (S2). It is situated 109m to the east of the other three, centred on TM 1967 9541. Two concentric ditches are visible, the external ditch measuring between 23 and 26m in diameter, the internal ditch between 17 and 20m in diameter.
It is notable that all four ring ditches are sited along what would later become the parish boundary between Tasburgh and Long Stratton, and it is possible that prehistoric monuments such as these may have been used as boundary markers by later communities.
Along with the ring ditches, traces of three possible enclosures and several linear features are also visible. The fragmentary possible enclosures are visible to the south of the ring ditches, centred on TM 1952 9537; the largest of these measures at least 61m x 29m externally, and is aligned roughly north south-east west. Only the northeast corners of these possible enclosures are visible.
To the north of the ring ditches, two parallel ditches are visible, aligned roughly east-west, curving slightly southwards from TM 1969 9546 to TM 1947 9541, and situated approximately 13m apart. It is possible that these ditches represent a wide linear trackway, and like the enclosures to the south, they may be contemporary with the ring ditches, or later in date.
Another linear feature to the north of this possible trackway, stretching from TM 1943 9549 to TM 1971 9546 was visible as a field boundary on the Tithe Map of 1840 (S3), and is therefore clearly of post-medieval date.
Further possible linear features clustered around TM 1949 9545 were of dubious archaeological origin, and may relate to underlying geological patterning, but have been recorded due to the potential significance of the ring ditches in the vicinity. Further archaeological work would be necessary to ascertain their true provenance/date.
E. Bales (NLA), 24 September 2010.

Monument Types

• ENCLOSURE? (Unknown date)
• LINEAR FEATURE (Unknown date)
• RING DITCH (Unknown date)
• TRACKWAY? (Unknown date)
• RING DITCH (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
• FIELD BOUNDARY (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds

• LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
• HARNESS (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
• COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• BROOCH (Early Saxon - 411 AD to 650 AD)
• GIRDLE HANGER (Early Saxon - 411 AD to 650 AD)
• BROOCH (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
• POT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
• COIN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• FINGER RING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• CLAY PIPE (SMOKING) (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• COIN (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• STRAP FITTING (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• TOKEN (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

Related records - none

Find out more...

• Make a Late Saxon brooch (Crafty Idea)
• Parish Summary: Long Stratton (Parish Summary)
• Parish Summary: Tasburgh (Parish Summary)