Monument record FRT 005 - Interrupted Ditch System / Causewayed Enclosure at Potash Farm

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Summary

A Scheduled Neolithic causewayed enclosure is visible on aerial photographs to the north of Potash Farm, Holbrook.

Location

Grid reference Centred TM 168 379 (334m by 359m) Centred on
Map sheet TM13NE
Civil Parish FRESTON, BABERGH, SUFFOLK
Civil Parish HOLBROOK, BABERGH, SUFFOLK

Map

Type and Period (4)

Full Description

Interrupted ditch system, double ditched. Irregular but roughly circular shape. Possible entrance or gaps in the enclosure on NW, W, S and SE sides. Large, rectangular post-hole building FRT 023 is found within, close to the ditches on the NE side. A possible fence/palisade line is visible between the two ditches in places, especially on CUCAP BXY 27,29,30,32,33, BYC 30- 32,36,37 & K17 AL 115 & 116 (S1)(S2).
1976: Aerial photographs taken during 1969 and 1972 reveal cropmarks of a large interrupted ditch system, composed of 2 concentric circuits. The site was under cultivation at the time of the visit and nothing was visible on the ground. ?Third circuit discontinuously visible between 2 or more distinct ones (S11).
1981: Nothing visible. A fair scatter of good flintwork recovered, especially in area of outer circuit by Sylvia Laverton of Freston in winter 1979-1980. Thought to be in Bury or Ipswich Museum and have been seen by Stanley West. Air photographs show sub-circular double discontinuous ditches enclosing an area approximately 310m x 290m, with other linear and rectilinear cropmarks in interior. Mr Suckling says that his holding (area 2) was subsoiled several times prior to scheduling (S11).
1985: Area 1 was under winter wheat; area 2 had been ploughed and weathered and area 3 was in stubble to the N and under winter barley to the S. All were covered with a sparse scatter of `pot boilers' and struck flint, the latter consisting mainly of blades and flakes, with a few cores and scrapers. The highest density (approximately 1 piece per 10m square or rather less) was over area 2, presumably because it was not yet planted. A fragmentary barbed and tanged arrowhead (with both barbs snapped off) from approximately TM 1682 3777, in the extreme S of area 2, may well have come from over the ditches. It was given to Mr Mann; the rest of the struck flint was not collected (S11). 1991: Said to be unmaintained and at risk. "Ditch clogged and overgrown for much of its length" (S12).
An aerial photographic transcription of the site was undertaken by Carolyn Dyer of the Air Photography Unit of the former RCHME in 1995 as part of the 'Industry and Enclosure in the Neolithic project' (S13) and was subsequently published in Oswald, Dyer and Barber's 'The Creation of Monuments' (S14). The transcription was used in the Suffolk Coastal NMP project.
August 2007: geophysical survey by English Heritage - details in (S16).
November 2007: Watching brief of footing for an extension carried out to the south of 2 Latimer Cottages only found a single unstratified flint (S17).
See FRT 023 for the long house located within the enclosure (S15).
Geophysical Survey identified the ditches forming the causewayed enclosure as well as a the corner of an enclosure and a number of other geophysical anomolies see FRT 063 (S19).

Sources/Archives (26)

  • --- Bibliographic reference: Oswald, A., Dyer, C. & Barber, M.. 2001. The Creation of Monuments: Neolithic Causewayed Enclosures in the British Isles. p. 47.
  • --- Photograph: Norfolk Archaeological Unit. Air photograph. NAU,AP JDL 9-12 JDM 1-3.
  • <R1> (No record type): Wilson D R, "Causewayed Camps" and "Interrupted Ditch Systems", Antiquity XLIX, 195, (Sept 1975), 17.
  • <S1> Photograph: CUCAP. CUCAP aerial photograph. CUCAP (AXP71) 10-JUN-1969.
  • <M1> Photograph: CUCAP. CUCAP aerial photograph. APs: CUCAP AXP 71, BXI 41, BXY 27, K17 AL 114-116; SAU AGC 08-11, AGJ 17,18,.
  • <M2> (No record type): AGM 15,16,23, AJO 10,11.
  • <S2> Photograph: CUCAP. CUCAP aerial photograph. CUCAP (BXI41) 15-JUN-1976.
  • <R2> Index: OS. OS Card. OS, card TM13NE19.
  • <S3> Photograph: CUCAP. CUCAP aerial photograph. CUCAP (BXY27,29,30,32) 23-JUN-1976.
  • <M3> Unpublished document: Suffolk Archaeological Service. Parish Files.
  • <M4> (No record type): SAM file:.
  • <S4> Photograph: CUCAP. CUCAP aerial photograph. CUCAP (BYC30-32,36,37) 24-JUN-1976.
  • <S5> Photograph: CUCAP. CUCAP aerial photograph. CUCAP (CCR79) 13-JUL-1977.
  • <S6> Photograph: CUCAP. CUCAP aerial photograph. CUCAP (K17 AL114-116) 23-JUN-1976.
  • <S7> Photograph: Suffolk Archaeological Service. Air Photograph. NMR TM 1638/3 (SFU 11560/GC/11) 21-JUL-1977 (AGC 08-11).
  • <S8> Photograph: Suffolk Archaeological Service. Air Photograph. NMR TM 1738/8,9,11 (SFU 11570/GM/15,16,23).
  • <S9> Photograph: Suffolk Archaeological Service. Air Photograph. NMR TM 1738/6 (SFU 11565/GJ/17,18) 21-JUL-1977.
  • <S10> Photograph: Suffolk Archaeological Service. Air Photograph. NMR TM 1738/14,15 (SFU 11585/JO/10,11) 26-JUN-1979.
  • <S11> Unpublished document: Department of the Environment. Scheduling information.
  • <S12> (No record type): Suff Pres Soc (Paul Edwards) survey, table of results, 1991.
  • <S13> Unpublished document: Carolyn Dyer (RCHME). 1995. A causewayed enclosure at Freston, Suffolk - Air Photographic Transcription and Analysis. Report by Dyer, C. (1995) for RCHME.
  • <S15> Verbal communication: Newsome, S.. 2001 -. Suffolk Coastal NMP Project. Sarah Newsome 13/08/03.
  • <S16> Unpublished document: Martin, L.. 2007. Geophysical survey report: Causewayed Enclosure, Freston.
  • <S17> Unpublished document: Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service. Watching Brief Report. Meredith J, SCCAS 2007.
  • <S18> Unpublished document: Martin, E. A. and Plouviez, J.. 1978. Prehistoric and Roman Cropmark Sites in Suffolk.
  • <S19> Unpublished document: 2019. Geophysical Survey, Potash Farm Scheduled Monument, Freston, Suffolk.

Finds (1)

Protected Status/Designation

Related Monuments/Buildings (3)

Related Events/Activities (5)

Record last edited

Sep 4 2019 11:30AM

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