Record Details

NHER Number:8645
Type of record:Monument
Name:Cropmarks of a Bronze Age barrow cemetery and Neolithic mortuary enclosure

Summary

Cropmarks of a Bronze Age barrow cemetery and possible Neolithic mortuary enclosure are visible on aerial photographs. Linear ditch cropmarks previously recorded under this NHER number are now recorded as part of NHER 42086. The cropmarks of seven ring ditches and four rectangular enclosures are present within this group. They are positioned on a south facing slope at approximately 12m OD. A possible Neolithic mortuary enclosure is overlain by a large double ring dicth of probable Bronze Age date. These are surrounded by smaller double and single ring ditches, probably representing Bronze Age round barrows. Curvilinear enclosures also present within this group of cropmarks may also indicate settlement activity of that period.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TG 4972 1284
Map Sheet:TG41SE
Parish:FILBY, GREAT YARMOUTH, NORFOLK

Full description

Cropmarks on (S1).
Also on (S2) including ring ditch.

9 July 1980.
Four or possibly five ring ditches revealed on NAU aerial photographs.
D. A. Edwards (NAU) 16 July 1982.

5 September 1970. Ordnance Survey air photography.
Positive cropmarks on (S3).
Ring ditch and sub-rectangular enclosure located southwest of ovoid enclosure. The blobby nature of these marks is probably poor definition from the crop rather than a true image of the features.
D. Voisey (NLA) 12 January 1995.

19 June 1996. NLA air photography.
An additional ring ditch is visible to the south of the main group.
The linear feature running diagonally across the site can be seen to continue to the south.
Several other linears can be identified in this area. At least one of which appears to be a trackway.
A similar group of features are also visible to the northwest. These linear ditches are likely to relate to a field system and enclosures.
S. Massey (NLA), 14 August 2001.

October 2005. Norfolk NMP.
Cropmarks of a Bronze Age barrow cemetery and possible Neolithic mortuary enclosure are visible on aerial photographs (S1) to (S12). The grid reference for these cropmarks is [1]. Linear ditches previously recorded under this HER number are now recorded as part of NHER 42086 and a Roman brooch is now recorded as NHER 42614. Cropmarks of seven ring ditches and four rectangular enclosures are present within this group. They are positioned on a south facing slope at approximately 12m OD.

A rectangular enclosure is centred on [2]. It lies on a north northwest to south southeast axis and measures 51m by 25m. The southern corners are both sharp right angles but the northern ones are more rounded in shape. A 6.5m wide gap in the ditch that is present centrally on the southern side of the enclosure is probably an entrance. A second gap, measuring 7.5m, is present towards the northern end of its northeastern side. A north to south aligned linear ditch appears to join the enclosure at this possible entrance, but it is not clear whether it is actually contemporary with the enclosure or not. A second linear ditch extends for 84m from the northwest side of the enclosure on a similar alignment to it. It is possible that this is a Neolithic mortuary enclosure, which has later become the focus for a group of ring ditches forming a barrow cemetery.

The largest and possibly earliest of the ring ditches is a double concentric ring ditch which is sub-circular in plan. This is located at [3] and overlies the northern end of the possible mortuary enclosure. The inner ditch is narrow and has a diameter of between 26m and 30m. A 7m wide gap in the northern side of this ditch may represent a deliberate entrance. The outer ditch is up to 2m wide and has a maximum external diameter of 41m. No break is present in the outer ditch. It is likely that this ring ditch relates to a substantial round barrow of Bronze Age date. It appears to have been incorporated into a later field system, which is also of possible Bronze Age date (NHER 42086).

A second double ring ditch is present in the southwest part of the complex at [4]. It is slightly sub-circular in plan and has narrow inner and outer ditches. The inner ditch is only partly visible as a cropmark and has a diameter of approximately 16m. The outer ditch has an external diameter of 22m with a 4m wide gap, possibly an entrance, on its northwest side. Located 30m to the southeast of this double ring ditch at [5] is another ring ditch. This ring ditch has a sub-circular to sub-rectangular plan and has an external diameter of between 13m and 15m. Although it is most likely that this relates to a round barrow of Bronze Age date, its form is such that it could be a square barrow of Iron Age date. A possible sub-oval pit, measuring 2.5m by 2m, is located centrally within this ring ditch and could represent a grave. However, numerous other similar sized pit-like cropmarks were present across the surrounding area and it is probable that they are of natural origin.

Two small ring ditches are present in the southeastern part of the group. A sub-circular ring ditch is located at [6]. It has a narrow ditch and an external diameter of 12m. It lies 17m to the southeast of the large double ring ditch and adjacent to the possible mortuary enclosure. This ring ditch is crossed by a cropmark of a field boundary ditch associated with an undated, but probably later, field system (NHER 42086). The second small ring ditch is located within the mortuary enclosure at [7]. It also has a narrow ditch and an external diameter of 7.5m. A 3m wide break is present in the north side of the ditch, possibly representing a deliberate entrance. Although comparatively small in size it is possible that this ring ditch also relates to a Bronze Age round barrow. Presence of small ring ditches (c.5m to 15m) associated with larger double concentric ring ditches is a feature noted in Bronze Age barrow complexes in Essex (S14). However, small ring ditches, with diameters of up to 10m are also associated with some Early Anglo Saxon burials. In addition Anglo Saxon cemeteries are often focussed on prehistoric monuments, such as round barrows. This appears to have been the case at the Spong Hill cemetery (NHER 1012), where Anglo Saxon ring ditches of a comparable small diameter were excavated (S15).

Located 35m to the north of the large double ring ditch at [8] is an incomplete single ring ditch. This ring ditch is sub-circular in plan and has a maximum external diameter of 26m. This ring ditch is cut by the present line of the Norwich to Great Yarmouth road established in 1768. The earlier line of the road to the north appears to avoid the barrow cemetery (NHER 42047). The ring ditch is also crossed by the cropmark of a major linear ditch that extends intermittently for at least 590m on a northwest to southeast alignment (NHER 42086). The relationship to the large double ring ditch of other associated ditches suggests that they are later than that monument. It is possible that the linear ditch is also later than the incomplete ring ditch that it crosses.

A curvilinear enclosure with a sub-oval plan is located in the northwest part of group at [9]. This enclosure has external dimensions of 29m by 23m and is defined by a narrow ditch. Breaks in the ditch indicate four entrances are present on opposite sides of the enclosure. Although it is not circular in plan, it is possible that it could relate to a round barrow. However, its irregular shape and four entrances make it more likely that it had a different function. Attached to this enclosure by a 24m long section of curved ditch is an incomplete sub-square enclosure. This enclosure is located at [10] and measures up to 17m by 15m externally. The northwest side of the enclosure is not visible as a cropmark. The northeast and southeast sides of the enclosure are straight with rounded corners, whilst the southwest side is curved. A 2m wide break in the ditch on the southeast side of the enclosure may represent an entrance. Attached to the southeast side of the enclosure is a smaller enclosure forming an annexe. It has an irregular hexagonal plan and measures 9m by 8.5m externally. An L-shaped ditch adjoining its southeast side may define a further area measuring 5m by 3m. The purpose of these adjoining enclosures and the curvilinear enclosure to their northeast is not clear, but it is possible that they relate to settlement activity of possible Bronze Age date.

A small sub-rectangular enclosure is located at [11] in the southwest corner of the barrow cemetery. It is defined by a narrow ditch and measures 7m long by between 5m and 6m wide. A roughly triangular pit is present at the eastern end of the enclosure. The date and function of this enclosure is not clear, as it appears to be too small and asymmetrical to be an Iron Age square barrow. However, its location on the periphery of the barrow cemetery could indicate a Bronze Age date. A similar-sized rectangular enclosure cropmark is present adjacent to a Bronze Age ring ditch 450m to the west (NHER 42080).
J. Albone (NMP), 21 October 2005.

January 2007. Norfolk NMP.
One or more of the barrows are notably oval in shape and could represent Neolithic oval barrows or mortuary enclosures.
S. Tremlett (NMP), 19 January 2007.

Monument Types

  • ANNEXE ENCLOSURE (Unknown date)
  • CURVILINEAR ENCLOSURE (Unknown date)
  • DITCH (Unknown date)
  • OVAL ENCLOSURE (Unknown date)
  • PIT (Unknown date)
  • POLYGONAL ENCLOSURE (Unknown date)
  • RECTANGULAR ENCLOSURE (Unknown date)
  • RING DITCH (Unknown date)
  • DITCH (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
  • MORTUARY ENCLOSURE (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
  • OVAL BARROW? (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
  • OVAL ENCLOSURE (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
  • ANNEXE ENCLOSURE (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
  • BARROW CEMETERY (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
  • CURVILINEAR ENCLOSURE (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
  • GRAVE? (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
  • POLYGONAL ENCLOSURE (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
  • RECTANGULAR ENCLOSURE (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
  • RING DITCH (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
  • ROUND BARROW (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
  • GRAVE? (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • SQUARE BARROW? (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • RING DITCH? (Early Saxon - 410 AD to 650 AD)

Associated Finds

  • BROOCH (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Protected Status

  • SHINE

Sources and further reading

---Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TG 41 SE 6.
---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Miscellaneous. Filby.
<S1>Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1946. RAF 106G/UK/1634 1039-40 09-JUL-1946 (NHER TG 4913B / TG 5013A).
<S2>Oblique Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1976. NHER TG 4912A-C (NLA 31/AFT9-11) 08-JUL-1976.
<S3>Vertical Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1970. OS/70315 054-5 11-SEP-1970.
<S4>Oblique Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1980. NHER TG 4912J (NLA 78/ANK7) 09-JUN-1980.
<S5>Oblique Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1980. NHER TG 4912K (NLA 78/ANK11) 09-JUN-1980.
<S6>Oblique Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1980. NHER TG 4912L (NLA 78/ANK23) 09-JUN-1980.
<S7>Oblique Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1980. NHER TG 4912N (NLA 89/APL3) 10-JUL-1980.
<S8>Oblique Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1980. NHER TG 4912R (NLA 79/ANM4) 09-JUN-1980.
<S9>Oblique Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1980. NHER TG 4912S-T (NLA 79/ANP1-2) 09-JUN-1980.
<S10>Oblique Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1980. NHER TG 4912U (NLA 80/ANN14) 09-JUN-1980.
<S11>Oblique Aerial Photograph: CUCAP. 1976. CUCAP BYB84 24-JUN-1976.
<S12>Oblique Aerial Photograph: Ritchie, K.. 1986. NHER TG 4912Y (RITCHIE/C) 21-AUG-1986.
<S13>Article in Serial: Brown, N., Knopp, D. & Strachan, D.. 2002. The archaeology of Constable Country: the crop-marks of the Stour Valley.. Landscape History. Vol 24.
<S14>Monograph: Hills, C., Penn, K. and Rickett, R. 1984. The Anglo-Saxon Cemetery at Spong Hill, North Elmham. Part III: Catalogue of Inhumations. East Anglian Archaeology. No 21.

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