Monument record BNH 052 - Earthwork boundary banks, Elvedon Road (1836)

Bank(?) from `Four Corners' along NE edge of Kings Forest. Partially defining former line of former Elvedon Road, as shown on Hodskinson's 1783 (S1) and 1st edition OS maps (S2), and partially along line of Barnham/Wordwell parish boundary.
Also marks N boundary of Wordwell Rabbit Warren (see WRW 042 for Lodge & 043 for Warren).
Appears to extend as 'dble bank' further east than area of suggested warren on map of 1800 (S3).

30/08/2008: rapid walk over survey of part of bank demonstrated its variable nature over N length. Appears to start (possible extension to S not checked) at 'Four Corners' where circa 8m wide by up to 1m high, and continues east (levelled by cultivation around TL 8335 7650) with mature broadleaved trees on top; bends SE at TL 8360 7650 where bank is circa 17m wide by circa 50cm high; continues as a straight bank to SE on NE side of 'Elveden Road' only as slighter bank of circa 10m by 40cm (with mature pine trees on top). Extent further to SE not checked.

July 2019. Breckland National Mapping Programme.
Sections of earthwork bank, most likely post medieval in date, are seen on aerial photographs and visualised lidar data (S2-S3). The banks most likely relate to boundary banks as part of the parish boundary between Wordwell, West Stow and Barnham. The banks at TL 8329 7649 and TL 8357 7651 may have been the northern boundary banks for Wordwell rabbit warren (WRW 043) recorded from cartographic sources to the south and it also has been suggested (see above) that the banks may relate to the former Elveden road recorded form Hodkinson map of Suffolk (S1). The banks are most likely post medieval in date and are in close proximity to an area of boundary banks to the north (BNH 129) and further parish boundary banks to the south (WRW 077). The banks can be seen as earthworks in the 1940s before sections of the bank are subsequently levelled leaving only the surviving sections of bank visible on the visualised lidar data (S3). The banks have been extended further to the east by this surveyt than previously recorded (see above) and can be seen on the First Edition Ordnance Survey map (S4) possibly relating to ‘Four Corners' documented on the historic map. The monument polygon has been amended to correlate with the position of the banks on the visualised lidar data.
J.Powell (Norfolk Historic Environment Service), 10th July 2019.