Monument record SUT 170 - A possible Medieval or Post Medieval hollow way at Sutton Hoo

A possible Medieval or Post Medieval hollow way is visible as an earthwork and soilmark on aerial photographs taken at Sutton Hoo. The hollow way is visible as an earthwork on photographs taken in the 1940s, running west to east from TM 28624882 to TM 28884883, just to the north-west of the scheduled area. Travelling eastwards from TM 28884883, a number of broken ditches are visible as earthworks on photographs from the 1940s and these may also be part of the hollow way, though a substantial modern track runs on a similar alignment. Another stretch of possible hollow way is visible running west to east from TM 29514894 to TM29564897. (S1) (S2) (S3) On later aerial photographs a number of tracks are visible as soilmarks, where the middle section of the hollow way has been ploughed out, following roughly the same alignment as the earthworks. (S4) A trackway is depicted also following the same alignment on the 1st and 2nd Ordnance Survey 25" maps of circa 1884 and 1904 and, though the western end of the hollow way is substantial and could potentially be Medieval in date, the middle section, visible as a soilmark in later years, may be the remains of the Post Medieval trackway or of the 1940s trackway. (S5) (S6)

From NRHE record:
TM 2880 4883 to TM 2862 4883: a hollow way, aligned east to west, descending the slope from a point just to the north of the Sutton Hoo barrow cemetery. It is 11.5m wide and up to 1m deep.

The hollow way is part of a medieval and later track which formerly ran eastwards from the Deben ferry up onto and across Sutton Common. It is shown on a map of Sutton parish, dated 1600-01, by John Norden.

For location and survey plan see the Sutton Hoo Estate Survey Report, a copy of which is in the NMR archive.