Monument record LKH 064 - Earthwork enclosure, Lakenheath Warren

One of four earthwork enclosures on Lakenheath Warren - also see LKH 063, 065, 066.
`TL 763 801. Slightly trapezoidal enclosure of about 11 acres bounded by a bank 25 to 30 feet wide and little more than 1.5 feet high with no trace of an entrance or external ditch' (S1). Slight traces of N-S ridge and furrow on interior on similar alignment. Also some small sherds of Med pottery, probably C12 to C13, picked up on surface within the SE corner (LKH 402)(S1)(S2).
First recorded by Watt in 1940 (S2)(R1).
Circa 1945: in open landscape - area of wind-blown sand on RAF AP.
1995: field survey as part of Brecks Survey failed to locate enclosure. Thick grass heath and semi-formal Scots Pine plantation/regrowth. No sign of edges of enclosure outside plantation (S3).
1999: heavily tree covered (see AP).

A terrier of 1649 requires the warrener to 'support and relieve the said coneys in the time of winter with hay and all other necessary feedings' and it may be the four internal rectangular earthwork enclosures on Lakenheath Warren were used to grow crops. Each enclosure is about 11 acres, is bounded by low banks of no more than 2 feet high and has traces of ridge and furrow. The banks are of sand, small flints and lumps of chalk (S5).

Feb 2013: visited (EM & CP) - trees now cleared, completely flat open ground and absolutely no trace of earthworks, - suggests tree clearance included destumping and levelling and removal of earthworks!
Probably Med cultivation enclosure within rabbit warren for foodstuffs for warrener or more likely rabbits.
Mapping approximate after (S2).

2010: The Breckland Society's survey of The Warrens of Breckland mentions four enclosures with low surrounding banks on the warren, which may have been for the cultivation of fodder for the rabbits (S4).
See LKH 174 for Lakenheath Rabbit Warren

(See LKH 402 for Medieval pottery sherd found in corner of enclosure, previously recorded under LKH 064)