Monument record MUD 025 - Earthwork enclosures of unknown date

July 2014. Lothingland, Lowestoft and North Suffolk Coast and Heaths National Mapping Programme.
An area of earthwork enclosures of unknown date are visible on aerial photographs (S1-S3). A later prehistoric, Roman or medieval to post medieval date has been suggested. The earthworks are within Mutford Big Wood, an area of ancient woodland (MUD 009). Earthworks have previously been recorded within this wood (See MUD 009), however no detail of them was available at the time of recording the earthwork recorded from the aerial photographs and it may be that the reference relates to the same features. Further research and ground survey is recommended. The shape of the wood has altered somewhat post medieval to modern period, however the earthworks are within the area depicted on Hodskinson’s map of 1783 (S4) and are still surrounded by woodland today. This could suggest that the earthworks are of some antiquity, however it is also probable that despite being classed as ‘ancient woodland’ that the density and extent of the woodland has changed throughout its history and it is possible that the enclosures relate to stock management or other activities within the woodland during the medieval to post medieval period. The dimensions and level of subdivision within the earthworks would potentially indicate that these are unlikely to relate to more recent compartments within the woodland, such as those associated with plantation or management of the area within the post medieval and modern periods. Additionally they are clearly cut by other more recent plantation features.
The earthworks consist of two conjoined rectangular and/or rectilinear ditched enclosures, with evidence of inner banks surviving in places. Both enclosures are approximately 75m across and the more complete example is 90m long. Both enclosures have evidence of internal subdivisions. Additional possible boundary ditches were perhaps visble to the northwest and northeast, but were not included within the mapping (noted on 'POSSIBLES' layer).
Given the orientation of these earthworks broadly follows that of the surrounding medieval to post medieval landscape a relatively late date could be assumed, although the morphology of the enclosures would equally suggest a later prehistoric or Roman date and it is feasible that the earthworks of this antiquity could have been preserved within an area of ancient woodland. Further work and ground survey is required to fully understand and interpret these features.
S. Horlock (Norfolk Historic Environment Service), 2nd July 2014.

March 2023. Assessment of the Character and Significance of East Anglian Field Systems project.
The site described above was included in the dataset analysed for the Historic England-funded Assessment of East Anglian Field Systems project. See the project report (S4) for further details.
S. Tremlett (Norfolk County Council Environment Team), 21 March 2023.