Norfolk Heritage Explorer

Location

Full description

December 2004. Norfolk NMP.
Cropmarks of a rectilinear field system and trackway of unknown, possibly Roman, date are visible on aerial photographs (S1-3). These cropmarks are centred on TG 3287 3336 and were previously recorded as part of NHER 36764. An incomplete rectangular enclosure is present at TG 3285 3339. Only three of its sides are visible, with its northwest side obscured by a modern field boundary. It is aligned on a northwest to southeast axis and measures 68m by 56m externally. The ditch defining the enclosure is up to 2.5m wide with a possible entrance present in the southeast side at TG 32885 33395. Two more possible entrances are located in the northeast side at TG 32865 33415 and the south corner at TG 32860 33360. However, both of these appear to have been blocked by a narrow ditch joining the wider enclosure ditches on either side. A ditch aligned parallel to the enclosure along its northeast side may have defined a 5m wide trackway leading to the northeast blocked entrance. Similarly, a possible ditch defined trackway extends intermittently for 200m to the southeast of the southern entrance. Two parallel ditches at TG 3289 3337 may also represent a fragment of another related trackway on a southwest to northeast alignment. Other fragmentary ditches around the main enclosure appear to define more enclosures and fields. To the southeast of the enclosure a slightly curving ditch extends for 96m parallel to the trackway between TG 3291 3340 and TG 3298 3334. A T-shaped arrangement of ditches at TG 3305 3332 may also be related. Four roughly parallel southwest to northeast aligned ditches are present on the northeast side of the enclosure. These appear to define three incomplete enclosures or fields. A further two southwest to northeast aligned ditches are present across the northwest end of the main enclosure at TG 3282 3342 with a third to its southwest between TG 3265 3327 and TG 3273 3334. Two narrow ditches also continue the line of the main enclosure, and possibly the trackway, for up to 100m to its northwest. It is likely that the main enclosure and its associated trackways, enclosures and fields represent part of a larger complex that is only partly visible as cropmarks. The date of these cropmarks is uncertain, but they are clearly earlier than the post medieval field system that overlies them (NHER 36764). Their alignment is similar to that of a possible Roman field system to the west (NHER 39097) and they could be of a contemporary date. The main enclosure also overlaps another incomplete enclosure of unknown, but possibly Iron Age to Roman date (NHER 39114). Isolated undated ditches, such as the one at TG 3278 3345, which are not related to the enclosure are also present within this group of cropmarks.
(S1-3)
J. Albone (NMP), 17 December 2004

Monument Types

• DITCH (Unknown date)
• ENCLOSURE (Unknown date)
• FIELD BOUNDARY (Unknown date)
• FIELD SYSTEM (Unknown date)
• RECTANGULAR ENCLOSURE (Unknown date)
• RECTILINEAR ENCLOSURE (Unknown date)
• TRACKWAY (Unknown date)
• DITCH (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• ENCLOSURE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• FIELD BOUNDARY (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• FIELD SYSTEM (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• RECTANGULAR ENCLOSURE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• RECTILINEAR ENCLOSURE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• TRACKWAY (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Associated Finds - none

Protected Status

• SHINE

Sources and further reading

Related records - none

Find out more...

• Parish Summary: Bacton (Parish Summary)