Monument record BNH 049 - Boundary bank of unknown date.

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Summary

The earthwork of a boundary bank, of post medieval (and possibly earlier) date, is depicted running along the county boundary on a late 19th century map. It is also partially visible on imagery derived from Environment Agency lidar data. As well as marking the county boundary, it could also be a boundary bank for Thetford Warren (recorded in Norfolk as NHER 54069), but this is not certain.

Location

Grid reference Centred TL 8532 8077 (1653m by 238m) Centred on
Map sheet TL88SE
Civil Parish BARNHAM, ST EDMUNDSBURY, SUFFOLK
County NORFOLK

Map

Type and Period (7)

Full Description

Med (?) boundary (?) bank running on Suffolk side of and parallel to county boundary. Marked as earthwork on OS 1884 to 1959 maps (S1)(S2), other maps not checked although not shown on 1972 1:10,000 map (though probably still existing).
Probably part of bank marking S edge of Thetford Rabbit Warren. See OS 1st edition map which appears to define line of warren boundary (bank ?) from Barnham Cross area (TL 8607 8100) to Thetford-Brandon road, B1107 (TL 8316 8538). Note deviation (possible division into separate warren banks for Downham and Thetford Warrens) N from county boundary at TL 8160 8237. For Downham Warren bank see STN 035.
February 1995: Visited as part of Brecks Survey. The bank is flat topped with a steeper inner face (to the north)(S3). This parallels the warren bank excavated at Santon Downham (STN 042) which showed this particular profile. This is consistent with the building method described by Rochefonccauld in 1794 where he mentions the boundary of Thetford Warren is a "four foot bank of turf sown with gorse which forms a boundary beyond which rabbits cannot go" (R1).

November 2018. 'Brecks from Above' and Breckland National Mapping Programme.
The boundary bank described above, which is depicted (partially as an earthwork) on the Ordnance Survey 1st edition 6 inch map (S4), is also partially visible on imagery derived from Environment Agency Lidar data (S5). It has not been mapped, as it is adequately depicted on the historical maps, and is not fully visible on the aerial sources. It appears to mark the county (and parish) boundary. Whether it also marks the southern extent of Thetford Warren is unclear, as the extent of the warren is uncertain (see NHER 54069). The extent of the warren as depicted in the Breckland warren survey reports (S6 and S7) does not extend this far to the southeast.
S. Tremlett (Norfolk Historic Environment Service), 1st November 2018.

Sources/Archives (8)

  • --- Unpublished document: The Breckland Society. 2017. The Internal Archaeology of the Breckland Warrens. p21-22.
  • <S1> (No record type): OS, 6" to 1 mile & 1:2500 maps..
  • <R1> (No record type): Scarfe N (ed), 1988, A Frenchman's Year in Suffolk, 158.
  • <S2> (No record type): OS, 1:10,560 map, TL 88 SW & SE, 1959..
  • <S3> Suffolk County Historic Environment Record: Sussams, K.. 1995. Brecks Survey. SAU, Sussams K, Brecks Survey, February 1995.
  • <S4> Map: Ordnance Survey. Ordnance Survey Map. Ordnance Survey 1st edition 6 inch map.
  • <S5> LIDAR Airborne Survey: LIDAR airborne survey. LIDAR TL4580-4680 Environment Agency 1m DTM 01-OCT-2014.
  • <S6> Bibliographic reference: The Breckland Society. 2010. The Warrens of Breckland: A Survey by The Breckland Society. p34.

Finds (0)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (2)

Record last edited

Apr 28 2020 1:44AM

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