Monument record BRD 267 - Earthworks, soilmarks and cropmarks of the Middle Saxon settlement site and medieval enclosure at Staunch Meadow (BRD 018)

March 2017. 'Brecks from Above' and Breckland National Mapping Programme.
An area of earthworks, former earthworks, soilmarks and cropmarks of the Middle Saxon settlement site and medieval enclosure at Staunch Meadow (BRD 018) are visible on the aerial photographs (S1-S10) and lidar data (S11). The site has been subject to extensive excavation in the 1980s (S12) and more recently a magnetometer geophysical survey (S13) was undertaken in 2008.
The aerial photograph and lidar mapping revealed the main components of the site, as identified during the excavations and surveys; most significantly the main Saxon settlement boundaries, trackway and enclosures. The aerial photographs revealed traces of some of the buildings recorded, including the Saxon church, but also indicated additional structures and areas of activity. To the east of the main excavation area the earthworks of enclosures, boundaries and further structural components were identified – some of which potentially correlated with features detected by the geophysics (S13), although in other areas there seemed to be a disparity between the two datasets. Further work is required to understand the results of the NMP mapping with the excavation plans and survey results.
However given the high level of Roman settlement and activity known in this general vicinity, it seems likely that pre-Saxon elements are present, in particular to the northwest of the site adjacent to the River Ouse and towards where Roman material has been recorded (BRD 035). Although it must be noted that no Roman features were identified during the excavations (S12).
Recent Google Earth photography (S10) and the Environment Agency 1m resolution Lidar data (S11) would indicate that the level of earthwork survival is relatively good across the eastern part of the site. Additional potential earthworks may be indicated by the lidar within the easternmost parts of the site, but were not mapped due to uncertainty whether they related to recent activity. The aerial photograph derived mapping to the east of the main BRD 018 site is also a little uncertain and further features may exist.
S. Horlock (Norfolk Historic Environment Service), 19th March 2017.