Monument record BRD 195 - Oval mound of uncertain date and function

Roughly circular, large mound, possibly round barrow or pillow mound (in association with BRD 196 nearby). Circa 20m diameter with slight tail to N, and over 1.5m high. Close (W of) to B1106 in recently felled area (reported by Paul McCreath of Forestry Commission). Area adjoining mound is low and could include surrounding ring ditch. See notated map in file (S1).
Southernmost of small group of mounds - also see BRD 196.

Note: under 500m from possible pillow mounds to S - see BRD 082.

May 2018. 'Brecks from Above' and Breckland National Mapping Programme.
The mound described above, which is an irregular oval rather than circular, is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs (S2), and on imagery from a recent lidar survey (S3). It has been interpreted as a possible pillow mound, presumably relating to medieval to post medieval warrening, or as a possible round barrow. However, like BRD 196 to its north and BRD 082 to its south, its appearance on the aerial sources suggests that it may be of more recent, mundane, and even natural origin. The ground surface across the whole area is very uneven and irregular, with evidence of former quarrying, and perhaps natural scouring and dune formation. Pillow mounds are extremely rare and perhaps non-existent on the Breckland warrens; while numerous round barrows have been recorded in the wider area, this example is not particularly convincing, given the unevenness of the ground in its immediate vicinity. It is most likely that this mound is of natural origin, or perhaps related to 19th or 20th century quarrying. As the lidar survey was flown relatively recently, it is likely that the earthwork still survives. See too adjacent sites BRD 196 and BRD 306, and also BRD 082 approximately 400m to the south.
S. Tremlett (Norfolk Historic Environment Service), 10th May 2018.