Record Details

NHER Number:13510
Type of record:Monument
Name:Barton and Sutton Broads

Summary

Barton and Sutton Broads are the remains of medieval peat cuttings, which flooded after they became disused. The Broad was used as a decoy pond in the 19th century. An island, known as Pleasure Island, once contained a bandstand and pleasure ground.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TG 365 224
Map Sheet:TG32SE
Parish:BARTON TURF, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
SUTTON, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

Medieval peat workings.
Barton was the first recorded broad to be suggested as artificial by S. Woodward in early 19th century, see (S1).
Note the name 'Dead Man's Hole' which may indicate a find of a prehistoric burial in peat digging.
The former entrance to Sutton Broad before it became overgrown was at TG 3652 2358.
See (S2).

Woodward's comments are in his Tour for 1834, see (S1), where he calls it Irstead Broad, and mentions the same evidence as used by (S2) over a century later.

There is an island marked by the Ordnance Survey as Pleasure Hill but mentioned in (S3) (copy in file) as Pleasure Island and stated to once have borne a bandstand and pleasure ground. See a comparable case in Hickling Broad.
E. Rose (NLA), 31 October 1994.

There is stated to be the wreck of a Meteor aircraft from the 1950s still within Barton Broad.
E. Rose (NLA), 8 August 1996.

Operated as a duck decoy in the 19th century (S4).
D. Gurney (NLA), 27 May 2003.

Before May 2003, (S5).
Two fen oaks sampled for dendrochronology, but neither could be dated.
Information held by Sheffield University Dendrochronology laboratory.
D. Gurney (NLA), 18 August 2003.

Monument Types

  • PEAT CUTTING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • DECOY POND (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • AIRCRAFT (Early 20th Century to 21st Century - 1901 AD to 2100 AD)

Associated Finds

  • HUMAN REMAINS (Undated)
  • SAMPLE (Unknown date)

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

---Aerial Photograph: TB 3621C-F.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1999. [Photograph of the Broads]. 30 August.
---Unpublished Document: Williamson, T.. 2002. Report for Broads Authority.
---Unpublished Document: Thorogood, P.. 2000. Duck Decoys of Norfolk (UEA BA Dissertation ref HISH 3P2Y).
---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
<S1>Publication: Woodward, S.. 1834. Correspondence. 2. pp 77ff.
<S2>Monograph: Lambert, J.M. & Jennings, J.N.. 1960. The Making of the Broads: A Reconsideration of their Origin in the Light of New Evidence..
<S3>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1992-1998. [Articles on the restoration of Barton Broad].
<S4>Article in Serial: Baker, R. E. 1985. Norfolk Duck Decoys. Transactions of the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists' Society. Vol XXVII Pt 1 pp 1-18.
<S5>*Verbal Communication: Murphy, P.. 2003. Information on fen oaks.

Related records - none

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