Monument record ARG 047 - Post Medieval structures in Thorpness Meare, possibly associated with a railway ballast branch.

Structures probably of late Post Medieval date are visible on aerial photographs submerged in Thorpeness Meare, centred roughly on TM46845965. The old course of a 'ballast branch' is visible cutting through 'the Mere' on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey map of 1884, but not on the 2nd of 1904 (S1, S2). As the features visible on aerial photographs are on a alignment close to that of the ballast branch, it is possible that they are related in some way to it. Thorpeness itself is a 'model village' established in the early 20th century, built upon the old fishing hamlet of Thorpe, which had been bought by the Scottish landowner and playwright G. Stuart Ogilvie. The Meare was created as a boating lake at the same time from the existing wetlands, and it is possible that these structures were not removed during the remodelling. Three groups of structures are visible on aerial photographs. The first is centred on TM47075960, and appear to be in use as mooring blocks for the boats on the Mere. Three rows of structures, roughly 6m apart, can be seen running roughly from TM47105959 to TM47045963. They may simply be modern mooring blocks and not archaeological features, but they are in the general area of, and on a similar alignment to a length of ballast branch line that appears to be crossing an area of water on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey map of 1884. It is possible therefore that they may have originally been old bridge footings. The second stretch is centred on TM46805968, and appears to be at least partly composed of two rows of posts approximately 4-5m apart. It runs in an irregular line for circa 120m from TM46885964 to TM46765968. The third area of structures is at roughly TM46615973, is on a similar alignment to the group above, and also appears to be paired posts. This time they run for about 10m, and are also circa 4m apart. (S3-S4).