Record Details
| NHER Number: | 33587 |
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| Type of record: | Cropmark and Earthwork |
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| Name: | Medieval ridge and furrow, settlement and hollow way |
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Summary
A small medieval settlement is recorded on this site in medieval documents. The site of the settlement is surrounded by the earthworks of medieval ridge and furrow, and a medieval or post medieval hollow way, which have been recorded during site visits and a ground survey. The ridge and furrow, which is narrow and straight, perhaps indicating a post medieval date, is visible as earthworks on aerial photographs and visualised lidar data; as the lidar survey was flown relatively recently (2017), it is probable that these earthworks still survive. A fragment of medieval pottery has been found on the site.
Images - none
Location
| Grid Reference: | TF 9206 1428 |
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| Map Sheet: | TF91SW |
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| Parish: | FRANSHAM, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK |
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| WENDLING, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK |
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Full description
Late April 1998. Permanent but improved grass field.
East to west furrow visible. At west end slight headland bank and then pronounced drop down to former common in G327 (NHER 28883). East end of field, to east of another headland is site of a medieval farm, the tenement Gibbes in existence by 1349. Wide hollow along south hedge marks continuation towards east of existing road (G330) to west.
Site visited by B. Cushion (NLA).
Rest of G321 to south and east of the tenement is former common, Hey Green.
A. Rogerson (NLA) 19 May 1998.
8 May 1998. NLA air photography.
Ridge and furrow (faint on photograph) in this field.
D. Edwards (NLA) 15 December 1998.
February 1999. Earthwork Survey.
Medieval sherd found at same time.
Field work No: G321.
See report (S1) for plan and further details. This survey is also noted in (S2).
B. Cushion (NLA) 24 February 1999. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 14 April 2015.
September 2023. Wendling Beck and Fransham Aerial Investigation and Mapping (AIM) Project.
The earthworks of ridge and furrow described above are visible on aerial photographs and visualised lidar data (S3-S4). Their straightness and narrowness suggest that they may be post medieval rather than medieval in date. The slight east-facing scarp recorded by the earlier ground survey (S1), which the ridges overlie towards the eastern end of the field, is also visible on the visualised lidar data as a low bank. It may be a former headland. It has not been mapped due to the difficulty of representing overlapping features. Similarly, the hollow way to the south and the extant field boundaries have not been mapped, as they are depicted in historical and modern Ordnance Survey mapping. As the lidar survey was flown relatively recently, it is probable that these earthworks still survive.
S. Tremlett (Norfolk Historic Environment Service), 22 September 2023.
Monument Types
- HOLLOW WAY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- PLOUGH HEADLAND? (Medieval - 1066 AD? to 1539 AD?)
- RIDGE AND FURROW (Medieval - 1066 AD? to 1539 AD?)
- SETTLEMENT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- HOLLOW WAY (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
- RIDGE AND FURROW (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
- SETTLEMENT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
Associated Finds
- POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
Protected Status - none
Sources and further reading
| --- | *Fieldwork: Fransham Survey. G321. AJGR. |
| --- | Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A.. 1998. [unknown]. TF 9214/A-B. |
| --- | Secondary File: Secondary File. |
| <S1> | Unpublished Report: Cushion, B. 1999. Fransham SMR 33587, 33588, 33589 & 34247. Earthwork Survey Report. |
| <S2> | Article in Serial: Gurney, D. and Penn, K. (eds). 2000. Excavations and Surveys in Norfolk 1999. Norfolk Archaeology. XLIII Pt III pp 521-543. p 527. |
| <S3> | Vertical Aerial Photograph: Various. Various. Vertical Aerial Photography from the Historic England Archive. RAF/106G/UK/401 RP 3043-3044 18-JUN-1945. |
| <S4> | LIDAR Airborne Survey: Environment Agency. Environment Agency LIDAR Data. National LIDAR Programme TF91SW DTM 1m 17 to 24-NOV-2017. |
Related records - none
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