Monument record ELV 095 - Earthworks of enclosure and boundaries of uncertain date

February 2018. 'Brecks from Above' and Breckland National Mapping Programme.
An area of earthwork enclosures and boundary banks is visible on aerial photographs (S1-S7). The date of the earthworks is uncertain and it is possible that it represents several phases of features, ranging from Roman, medieval to twentieth century. The more recent aerial photograph sources, for example Google Earth (S7), would suggest that significant features survive, preserved within Elveden Park and potentially also on the adjacent heath. The main focus of the earthworks is to the south of Sketchfar Cottages, although some fragmentary earthworks were tentatively identified within the northern part also.
The southwestern part of the site consists of boundary banks and possible enclosures. The alignment and plan of these boundaries would suggest that they represent parts of the pre-Elveden park medieval landscape, potentially associated with nearby settlement earthworks (ELV 099) to the west. However these earthworks are also located in close proximity to ELV 004 – Roman finds thought to relate to settlement activity. It is therefore feasible that some of the earthworks are Roman in origin.
The southeastern part of the site is less clear and appears to consist of a series of ditches enclosures, trackways and boundaries, potentially associated with braided tracks, land divisions and stock enclosures on the heath. However the heath and the edge of Marmansgrave Wood reveal evidence of recent activity in the 1940s (S1-S2) and it is possible that some or all of these tracks and apparent enclosures relate to military training exercises either in First World War or early in Second World War.
S. Horlock (Norfolk Historic Environment Service), 19th February 2018.