Record Details

NHER Number:4945
Type of record:Monument
Name:Mill Hill, possible site of Bronze Age barrow and/or medieval windmill mound

Summary

An undated mound has been identified during field visits and on visualised lidar data. The mound may be a large Bronze Age barrow or a mill mound noted on a map of 1580. A large amount of Neolithic flints have been found in close proximity and are recorded under NHER 59916.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TL 75956 94884
Map Sheet:TL79SE
Parish:METHWOLD, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

Site of possible Bronze Age barrow or medieval to post-medieval mill. A large collection of worked flints found near this mound and previously described in this record is now detailed under NHER 59916.

Pre July 1935. Field Observation.
J. S. Warburton's notes describe a mound in this location that he felt may have been a Bronze Age barrow. He does however note that it would have been a very large one, being "...about 50 yards (45.72m) in each direction". The mound is described as lying on higher ground (50 foot contour), approximately 1/2 mile (800m) northeast of Spring Lodge (TL 752 946) and the same distance north of Warren Lodge Farm (TL 757 941). It is also recorded as lying to the north of a site that had produced a large number of what appear to have predominantly Neolithic worked flints (now recorded seperately as NHER 59916). Information from record card (S1).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 21 November 2013.

August 1972. Field Observation.
Ordnance Survey staff recorded that the Forestry Commission had cleared the area of trees and replanted. However, the mound could not be identified either from ground level or a nearby watch tower.
Information from record card (S2).
H. Hamilton (HES), 19 January 2021.

Pre March 1976. Field Observation.
It should be noted that this location is apparently marked as "Mill Hill" on a map of 1580 (S3), suggesting that the feature observed by Warburton was potentially a windmill mound. The site was visited by A. J. Lawson (NAU), who could see no sign of this mound. He noted that if had still been standing in this location it should have been visible, despite its position within a plantation.
Information from (S4).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 21 November 2013.

April 2019. Breckland National Mapping Programme.
An undated mound is visible on visualised lidar data (S5). The mound may possibly relate to a large Bronze Age barrow or a possible post-medieval mill mound as previously suggested (see above). There is a possible pit or cut to the north east of the mound which may relate to extraction or a modern forestry feature.
The mapped extent of the mound was refined based on the Lidar data [1]. It covers an area approximately 80m by 40m.
J.Powell (Norfolk Historic Environment Service), 1 April 2019.

Monument Types

  • MOUND? (Unknown date)
  • BARROW? (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
  • MOUND (Bronze Age - 2350 BC? to 701 BC?)
  • ROUND BARROW? (Bronze Age - 2350 BC? to 701 BC?)
  • MILL? (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD? to 1900 AD?)
  • EXTRACTIVE PIT? (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • MOUND (Post Medieval - 1540 AD? to 1900 AD?)
  • PIT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD? to 1900 AD?)
  • WINDMILL MOUND? (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • NON ANTIQUITY? (Early 20th Century to 21st Century - 1901 AD to 2100 AD)

Associated Finds - none

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

<S1>Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Bronze Age. Methwold.
<S2>Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TL 79 SE 1.
<S3>Map: 1580. Ground Plot of Royal Warren of Methwold.
<S4>Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
<S5>XYLIDAR Airborne Survey: Various. LIDAR Airborne Survey. LIDAR Weeting Forest Research 0.5m DTM 17-JUL-2015 (BNG Project, FC England, Fugro Geospatial). [Mapped feature: #64801 Extent of earthworks based on a 2015 LiDAR survey., ENF145328]

Related records - none

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