Norfolk Heritage Explorer

Location

Full description

12 July 1990. NAU air photography.
Cropmarks of trackway and field systems.
D. Edwards (NAU)

July 2006. Norfolk NMP.
The trackway and ‘field systems’ described above are visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs (S1)-(S2), centred at TG 4466 1722. The trackway is visible as two parallel ditches between TG 4475 1739 and TG 4490 1695; the southern end is visible only as a single, wide cropmark, while a short segment of ditch at TG 4476 1749 may be a northern continuation. It is similar to tracks of probable Iron Age or later prehistoric date identified elsewhere in Norfolk (e.g. NHER 34843 at Roughton), and this seems the most likely date for the cropmarks described here. The track appears to both be sited on and to respect two probable Bronze Age round barrows (NHER 44895 and 44896), most notably at TG 4456 1704 where its southeast side ‘kinks’ around ring ditch NHER 44896. It could, in fact, have formed part of a long distance track (and boundary?), which ran along the line of an interfluve between the high ground to the south of Martham, southwest towards the high ground once marked by another probable barrow (NHER 18394) and now marked by the junction of three parish boundaries (Rollesby, Ashby with Oby and Fleggburgh). The trackway described here forms the northeastern end of this postulated alignment, with NHER 44897 and 44898 continuing it to the southwest. The other cropmarks, most of which are aligned parallel or at right angles to the trackway, are probably contemporary field boundaries which once divided up the land to either side of it. Their orientation certainly differs from that of both a possibly Bronze Age field system (NHER 27331) to the east, and the late post medieval pattern of land division depicted on historic maps (e.g. S3) and also visible as cropmarks (NHER 44894), indicating that they represent a distinct phase of activity. (An exception is a double ditch or trackway, visible between TG 4478 1729 and TG 4464 1739, which could be a continuation of the possibly Bronze Age trackway to the east, part of NHER 27331).
S. Tremlett (NMP), 27 July 2006.

Monument Types

• FIELD BOUNDARY (Unknown date)
• TRACKWAY (Unknown date)
• FIELD BOUNDARY (Middle Bronze Age to Roman - 1600 BC to 409 AD)
• TRACKWAY (Middle Bronze Age to Roman - 1600 BC to 409 AD)
• FIELD BOUNDARY (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
• TRACKWAY (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)

Associated Finds - none

Protected Status

• SHINE

Sources and further reading

Related records

Find out more...

• Parish Summary: Martham (Parish Summary)