Monument record STN 185 - Extensive multi-phase boundaries, trackways, enclosures and cultivation/plantation ridges in Downham High Warren

January 2019. 'Brecks from Above' and Breckland National Mapping Programme.
Extensive, multi-phase boundaries, enclosures, trackways and blocks of cultivation or plantation ridges have been recorded as earthworks across Downham High rabbit warren (SHER STN 035). They are primarily visible on imagery from a lidar survey flown in 2015 (S1-S2), but some elements are also visible on aerial photographs, while others have been identified by ground survey. Many of the features are likely to relate to the functioning of the warren, and may represent boundaries and enclosures used for managing and trapping the rabbits, or for growing forage crops to enable higher stocking levels. Others may relate to activity taking place alongside warrening, including growing arable crops or grazing livestock. Other features are likely to relate to early forestry activity, taking place after warrening ceased. The blocks of ridges, reminiscent of ridge and furrow, could relate to the growing of forage crops, arable agriculture taking place within the warren, or early forestry plantations. It is notable that the features almost exclusively lie to the south of an east-west bank dividing the northern part of the warren from the south (SHER STN 087).
Some low, northeast-southwest orientated banks could pre-date the establishment of the warren (or at least its boundary banks), but their date and function is uncertain. They appear to continue beyond the southern boundary of the warren (SHER ELV 132), and into Elveden Warren (SHER ELV 039). Where they extend for a short distance into Brandon Warren (SHER BRD 082) to the west, the mapping has been included in this site (that is, SHER STN 185).
Some of the features were recorded by earlier surveys, for example SHER BRD 321, STN 060, 081, 112 and 113. Some correlate with boundaries depicted on historical maps, such as the Ordnance Survey 1st edition 6 inch map (S3), although for the most part such features were not mapped as they fall outside the scope of the survey. A few blocks of ridges, which overlie other features and appear to be relatively late, have been recorded individually (SHER STN 121 and 199). Some areas of braided trackway have been recorded by extent. As the lidar survey was flown relatively recently, it is likely that many of the earthworks still survive.
S. Tremlett (Norfolk Historic Environment Service), 23rd January 2019.