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Record Details

NHER Number:4194
Type of record:Monument
Name:Earthworks relating to medieval settlement

Summary

Earthworks relating to medieval settlement features, are seen on aerial photographs and relatively recent (2017) visualised lidar data. The earthworks along with fragments of late medieval flint and brick masonry, several ponds including one with revetting and another in the shape of a moat with a small interior platform, have also been recorded from previous field visits. The features likely to represent a small medieval farmstead and associated fields.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TF 87 14
Map Sheet:TF81SE
Parish:GREAT DUNHAM, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK

Full description

1969.
Earthworks around possible moat noted by P. Wade-Martins (NAU).

19 April 1976. Ordnance Survey air photograph.
Features visible.
E. Rose (NAU).

25 May 1978. Visit.
Moat shaped pond has what may be remains of larger dry arms to north. Other earthworks under pasture are low humps. E. Rose (NAU).

1991. Visit.
Area of earthworks extended to north and west after site visit. Earthworks stand to some 0.7m to 1m in places.
See (S1).
H. Paterson (A&E) 13 October 1992.

1994. Earthwork Survey.
1:1000 survey. Features include several sub rectangular ditched enclosures, one short curved section of probable hollow way, and several lengths of flint and brick masonry indicative of a late medieval date. Several unlinked ponds are distinctive features, including one with a short length of flint and brick revetting and one of moat form with a small interior raised platform.
See report (S2) for plan and further details. This site was included in (S3) and the survey is also noted in (S4).
B. Cushion (NLA), December 1994. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 16 February 2014.

December 2008- January 2009. Metal detecting.
Late Saxon buckle, 1 medieval coin, medieval sherd, medieval/post-medieval weight & thimble,
see lists in file
A. Rogerson (NLA) 13 March 2009

January 2024. Wendling Beck and Fransham Aerial Investigation and Mapping (AIM) Project.
Earthworks relating to medieval settlement features (see above), are seen on aerial photographs and relatively recent (2017) visualised lidar data (S5-S15). The features include a series of boundary banks and ditches, some of which may relate to possible property boundaries and field boundaries, probable enclosures, ridge and furrow, drainage ditches, a hollow way and a possible section of road. A moated platform can be seen in the east of the area (centred at approximately TF 8729 1482). It has been previously suggested that this feature was not occupied (S3). The features most likely date to the medieval period. However, it is possible that some of the features could be post medieval in date. A number of ponds are also seen across the site on the consulted sources. These features have not been mapped as they have been recorded in good detail on the readily accessible historic maps (such as S16). The majority of the earthworks are visible on the relatively recent (2017) visualised lidar data and likely still survive as earthworks. Some of the features, such as the ridge and furrow, appear to have been levelled. Although it is possible that these features could still survive as a very low earthwork.
J. Powell (Norfolk Historic Environment Service), 16 January 2024.

Monument Types

  • BANK (EARTHWORK) (Unknown date)
  • BOUNDARY BANK (Unknown date)
  • BOUNDARY DITCH (Unknown date)
  • CAUSEWAY (Unknown date)
  • DRAINAGE DITCH (Unknown date)
  • FIELD BOUNDARY (Unknown date)
  • MOAT (Unknown date)
  • POND (Unknown date)
  • RECTILINEAR ENCLOSURE (Unknown date)
  • FINDSPOT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • BOUNDARY BANK (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • BOUNDARY DITCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • BUILDING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • DRAINAGE DITCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • EARTHWORK (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • ENCLOSURE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FARMSTEAD (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FIELD BOUNDARY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
  • HOLLOW WAY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • MOAT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • POND (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • ROAD (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • SETTLEMENT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • WALL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • DRAINAGE DITCH (Post Medieval - 1540 AD? to 1900 AD?)

Associated Finds

  • BUCKLE (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • COIN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • THIMBLE (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
  • WEIGHT (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

---Aerial Photograph: OS AP 76.020.145. Unit AP TF8714 B-G,R-T,U-Y.
---Photograph: I & RS. Digital finds image.
---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Medieval. Dunham, Great.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Miscellaneous. Dunham, Great.
<S1>Unpublished Document: Paterson, H. (A&E). Norfolk Ancient Monuments Management Project Site Form.
<S2>Unpublished Report: Cushion, B. 1994. Gr. Dunham SMR4194. Earthwork Survey Report.
<S3>Monograph: Cushion, B. and Davison, A. 2003. Earthworks of Norfolk. East Anglian Archaeology. No 104. p 41.
<S4>Article in Serial: Gurney, D. (ed.). 1995. Excavations and Surveys in Norfolk 1994. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XLII Pt II pp 230-239. p 233.
<S5>Vertical Aerial Photograph: Various. Various. Vertical Aerial Photography from the Historic England Archive. RAF/106G/UK/401 RP 3052-3053 18-JUN-1945.
<S6>Vertical Aerial Photograph: Various. Various. Vertical Aerial Photography from the Historic England Archive. RAF/3G/TUD/UK/100 V 5358-5359 30-MAR-1946.
<S7>Oblique Aerial Photograph: Various. ? - 2020. Norfolk Air Photo Library: Oblique Collection. TF/8714 A 31-MAR-1965 (CUCAP AKQ 46).
<S8>Oblique Aerial Photograph: Various. ? - 2020. Norfolk Air Photo Library: Oblique Collection. TF/8714 P-Q 31-MAR-1965 (CUCAP AKQ 44-45).
<S9>Vertical Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1970. Norfolk Air Photo Library: Ordnance Survey Vertical Collection. 76-020/ 167 19-APR-1976.
<S10>Oblique Aerial Photograph: Various. ? - 2020. Norfolk Air Photo Library: Oblique Collection. TF8714/B-D 10-AUG-1981 (NLA 115/ARB 12-14).
<S11>Oblique Aerial Photograph: Various. ? - 2020. Norfolk Air Photo Library: Oblique Collection. TF8714/H-N 26-APR-1984 (NLA 147/AVZ 4-9).
<S12>Oblique Aerial Photograph: Various. ? - 2020. Norfolk Air Photo Library: Oblique Collection. TF8714/U-Y 05-JUL-1988 (NLA 200/DVJ 5-9).
<S13>Oblique Aerial Photograph: Various. ? - 2020. Norfolk Air Photo Library: Oblique Collection. TF8714/R-T 10-DEC-1981 (NLA 297/Y 5-7).
<S14>Vertical Aerial Photograph: Various. Various. Vertical Aerial Photography from the Historic England Archive. OS/95565 V 103-104 19-JUN-1995.
<S15>LIDAR Airborne Survey: Environment Agency. Environment Agency LIDAR Data. National LIDAR Programme TF81SE DTM 1m 17 to 24-NOV-2017.
<S16>Map: Ordnance Survey. 1884-1891. Ordnance Survey Map. Six inches to the mile. First Edition. 1:10,560.

Related records - none

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