Record Details

NHER Number:21294
Type of record:Monument
Name:Medieval moated site, medieval and post medieval features in Great Melton Park

Summary

Medieval and post medieval earthworks and cropmarks located within Great Melton Park (NHER 30505) are visible on aerial photographs. They include landscape park features, a medieval moated site, medieval and post medieval hollow ways and possible medieval tofts. Prehistoric flint artefacts, a Neolithic flint core, Roman, medieval and post medieval pottery and undated bricks have been collected from the site, part of which now features a bowling green and a cricket pitch.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TG 136 061
Map Sheet:TG10NW
Parish:GREAT MELTON, SOUTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

The cropmarks and earthworks described below are now recorded as part of NHER 53665.

1985. In park (NHER 30505) of former hall (ruined; NHER 9277).
Complex of earthworks, some pre park and some contemporary with 18th century park. Includes hollow ways, one of road diverted in 1776, some older; fragments of possible triple moated site to east.
Also scatter of medieval sherds, brick and late medieval transistional sherd (context 14) at TG 1399 0614.
See detailed report by A. Gregory (NAU) and C. Barringer and plot in file (S1) (context 14 also on record map).
Finds held by NCM.
Finds identified by A. Gregory (NAU).
A. Gregory (NAU), 26 April 1985

May 1989. Fieldwalking. Northeast of greenhouse at TG 1348 0614.
Neolithic flint core.
Identified by J. J. Wymer (NAU).
W. Milligan (NCM), 6 June 1989.

Possible manorial site. See letter (S2) in file.
E. Rose (NAU), 26 November 1990.

4 April 1993. Fieldwalking finds.
Roman, medieval, post medieval sherds.
Flints.
See lists in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 29 April 1993.

November 1999. Visit.
To east earthworks still visible in parkland grazed by cattle. To west construction of bowling green and cricket pitch have flattened any earthworks which may have been seen in this area previously.
H. Paterson (A&E), 20 April 2000.

February 2000. Earthwork Survey.
Survey at 1:1000.
Extensive earthworks in the park south of the remains of the early 17th Century Hall indicate a series of former roadways, two of them closed in the late 18th Century. A probable headland bank and at least two probable tofts were also noted. A substantial subdivided enclosure in woodland on the eastern extremity of the park, truncated by the road to the south, has produced medieval pottery and brick fragments indicating a significant property, possibly manorial.
See report (S3) for plan and further details. This site was included in (S7) and the results of the survey are also summarised in (S8).
B. Cushion (NLA), 29 February 2000. Amended by D. Holburn (HES), 14 November 2011 and P. Watkins (HES), 18 March 2015.

22 July 1993. NLA aerial photography (S4).
Letters assigned to features taken from report by B. Cushion (S3) in file.
Southwestern extend of hollow way (A) visible on photos, hollow way (B) is largely obscured.
The rectangular enclosure of the toft (D) shows, as does the cropmarks of this feature flattened by cricket pitch. The enclosure continues northwards and joins a linear boundary, running northwest to southeast, joining hollow way (B). Thus feature appears to be a continuation of earthwork (H), a bank and headland.
Slight banks can still be detected on the aerial photographs on the cricket pitch site, showing as faint parch marks in conjunction with ditches.
Note: not all features may relate to medieval landscape. Some maybe post medieval park elements or extensions of hall outbuildings etc.
Note: cropmarks apparent in centre of cricket pitch likely to have been obscured by sports activities etc.
See cropmark plan in file.
S. Massey (NLA), 31 January 2001.

27 July 1995. NLA aerial photography (S5).
Earthworks visible.
H. Clare (NLA), 19 April 2001.

2 July 1996. NLA aerial photography (S6).
The lines of hollow ways, ditches and enclosures can still be seen under the cricket pitch.
S. Massey (NLA), 23 July 2001.

June 2010. Norfolk NMP.
The cropmarks and earthworks described above are now recorded as part of NHER 53665.
S. Tremlett (NMP), 14 June 2010.

Monument Types

  • BANK (EARTHWORK) (Unknown date)
  • DITCH (Unknown date)
  • HOLLOW WAY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • MANOR (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • MOAT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • TOFT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • HOLLOW WAY (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • MARL PIT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • PARK (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds

  • BRICK (Undated)
  • LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
  • CORE (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
  • POT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • WINDOW GLASS (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • POT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • POT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status

  • SHINE

Sources and further reading

---Aerial Photograph: TG1306 F-J.
---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
---Collection: Norfolk Historic Environment Record Staff. 1975-[2000]. HER Record Notes. Norfolk Historic Environment Service.
<S1>Unpublished Document: Gregory, A. & Barringer, C.. Earthwork report and plot.
<S2>Correspondence: Letter regarding 21294.
<S3>Unpublished Report: Cushion, B. 2000. Great Melton SMR 21294. Earthwork Survey Report.
<S4>Oblique Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1993. NHER TG 1306S-U (NLA 331/GSL9-11) 22-JUL-1993.
<S5>Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1995. TG1306/V - Y.
<S6>Oblique Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1996. NHER TG 1306AE (NLA 367/HYE1) 02-JUL-1996.
<S7>Monograph: Cushion, B. and Davison, A. 2003. Earthworks of Norfolk. East Anglian Archaeology. No 104. p 213.
<S8>Article in Serial: Gurney, D. and Penn, K. (eds). 2001. Excavations and Surveys in Norfolk 2000. Norfolk Archaeology. XLIII Pt IV pp 707-728. p 712.

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