Monument record STN 057 - The Square Plantation

`The Square Plantation' marked on Downham Estate Map of 1791 as planted in 1779 (S1). Buildings(?) are shown at SW & SE corners. Part of Downham Hall Park (see STN 017).
A series of low (mainly circa 30cm high) earthwork banks survive marking the divisions within this enclosure (S2). Sites of buildings not visited. Banks need accurately surveying.

March 1996: A series of linear banks were noted around the area of STN 032 flint mines during monitoring of a cable trench which were cut by the trench. The presence of earthwork banks was considered unusual in an intensely farmed region. The survival of these relict landscape features was considered to be of some importance.(S5)

July 2017. 'Brecks from Above' and Breckland National Mapping Programme.
Banks defining the layout of the post medieval plantation described above are visible as earthworks on imagery from a recent lidar survey (S3). For the most part, they correspond with boundaries depicted on the Ordnance Survey 1st edition 6 inch map (S4); those not shown on the map could relate to an earlier layout (the Downham Estate map referred to above, S1, has not been consulted by the project), or pre-date the establishment of the plantation.
S. Tremlett (Norfolk Historic Environment Service), 11th July 2017.