Record Details
| NHER Number: | 36485 |
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| Type of record: | Monument |
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| Name: | Possible Bronze Age round barrow |
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Summary
A possible ring ditch of unknown date is visible as a cropmark on aerial photographs. It is possible that this represents the remains of a Bronze Age round barrow; an off-centre pit within the ring ditch may be a grave. It lies, however, adjacent to the probable site of Thorpe Hall, a medieval to post-medieval great house, and to the cropmarks of probable garden features associated with it (NHER 6764). It is therefore possible that the ring ditch is of a later, medieval or post-medieval date, and represents a garden feature or ancillary structure to the great house. In addition, it is also possible that the ring ditch is of geological rather than archaeological origin. A related trackway is listed under NHER 38515.
Images - none
Location
| Grid Reference: | TG 2435 3549 |
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| Map Sheet: | TG23NW |
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| Parish: | THORPE MARKET, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK |
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Full description
WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE RING DITCH, THE CROPMARKS DESCRIBED BELOW ARE NOW RECORDED AS NHER 6764 (PARALLEL AND CONJOINED LINEAR FEATURES) AND NHER 38515 (THE TRACKWAY).
28 June 1996. NLA aerial photography.
Cropmark of ring ditch partially visible at approx. NGR TG 2437 3550. There are several gaps within its diameter, although there is much geological 'noise' in the crop background. To the immediate south of this are two parallel linears with smaller co-joined stretches of linear. These may be related to the gardens or hall, or NHER 6764 (the site of Thorpe Hall). A trackway runs from the corner of Nursery Farm to the edge of the Thorpe Hall site. This again may date to the hall phase of the site.
S. Massey (NLA), 8 October 2001.
March 2004, Norfolk NMP
With the exception of the ring ditch, the cropmarks described above are now recorded as NHER 6764 (parallel and conjoined linear features) and NHER 38515 (the trackway). In addition, NMP mapping has led to the alteration of the central grid reference of the site from TG 2425 3553 to TG 2435 3550.
A ring ditch of unknown date and function is visible as a cropmark on aerial photographs (S1), centred at TG 2435 3550. It is possible that it is a Bronze Age feature and that it once surrounded a round barrow; the off-centre pit within the ring ditch perhaps supports this view. A Neolithic or Bronze Age axe hammer has been found approximately 90m to its south-west and prehistoric flint has been found 165m to its south. Alternatively it may be of medieval to post-medieval date, and is perhaps a garden feature or other type of feature or structure associated with the site of Thorpe Hall (NHER 6764) to its south. It is also notable that the underlying geology produces cropmarks of similar tone, and that the ring ditch may therefore be of geological rather than archaeological origin. The fact that it is only partially visible, the visible portion being within an area of geological cropmarks, may support this alternative interpretation.
The ring ditch is sub-circular in plan and has a diameter of 17.5m. Its southeast side is not visible; two apparent causeways on its west and south-west sides may be genuine. A possible pit lies within the ring ditch, towards its northern side.
(S1)
S.Tremlett (NMP), 22 March 2004
Monument Types
- GARDEN FEATURE (Unknown date)
- PIT (Unknown date)
- RING DITCH (Unknown date)
- GRAVE (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
- PIT (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)
- GARDEN FEATURE (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
Associated Finds - none
Protected Status - none
Sources and further reading
| <S1> | Oblique Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1996. NHER TG 2435A-B (NLA 365/JFK12-3) 28-JUN-1996. |
Related records - none
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