Norfolk Heritage Explorer

Location

Full description

Earthwork, immediately east of river, east of Marlingford Hall. Shown on latest edition of Ordnance survey map (S1), but not previously recorded in NHER.
A. Gregory (NAU), 29 July 1987.

Note just east of site NHER 18262, suggested moat at Marlingford Hall.
E. Rose (NAU), 3 August 1987.

Ordnance Survey (S2) describe earthwork as subrectangular dry ditched earthwork in level pasture. 65m north to south by about 50m transverse. Arms maximum 0.7m deep and maximum 10m wide. Spur projecting from north arm almost bisects site but stops short of south arm east side non existent but drain may occupy line. Interior featureless; fish pond or decoy for Marlingford Hall ?
NAU aerial photograph (S3) quoted on Ordnance Survey card (S2). On this the feature appears in top left hand corner only and looks more like a tennis court, the ditches giving no appearance of depth, which is why it was not picked up by NAU. However, plan as drawn by Ordnance Survey (in file) does look like part of one of the two compartment moats common in area.
E. Rose (NAU), 17 August 1987.

November 1999. Visit.
Whole area shoulder high in nettle and dead hogweed. Impossible to identify any earthworks, even in winter months.
H. Paterson (A&E), 20 April 2000.

April 2010. Norfolk NMP.
The possible medieval moat described above is visible as earthworks, vegetation marks and soilmarks on aerial photographs (S3)-(S4), centred at TG 1296 0814. The NMP survey has extended the plan of the site to the east, where possible traces of an east side to the moat are visible as soilmarks on aerial photographs taken in 1946 (S3). As stated above, the site resembles a compartmented or double moat, defined (for the most part) by a substantial ditch. There is possible evidence on the 1946 aerial photographs (S3) of a platform and large pit or depression in the northwest corner of the site (this assumes that all the features on these photographs are showing ‘reversed’; they might instead indicate a sunken area and mound). There seems little reason to prefer the alternative interpretations of the site (outlined above and put forward in NMR TG 10 NW 23) as a fishpond or decoy pond.
The site measures approximately 77m by 62m externally, while the western and eastern compartments measure internally approximately 50m by 20m and 47.5m by 38m respectively.
S. Tremlett (NMP), 28 April 2010.

Monument Types

• FISHPOND? (Unknown date)
• RECTILINEAR ENCLOSURE (Unknown date)
• FISHPOND? (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
• MOAT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• RECTILINEAR ENCLOSURE (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
• DECOY POND? (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds - none

Protected Status

• SHINE

Sources and further reading

Related records - none

Find out more...

• Parish Summary: Great Melton (Parish Summary)