Monument record SOL 015 - Earthworks within Somerleyton Park

January 2014. Lothingland, Lowestoft and North Suffolk Coast and Heaths National Mapping Programme.
Undated earthworks, most probably the remains of post medieval field boundaries, tracks and roads, are visible on aerial photographs and Lidar images of Somerleyton Park (S1)-(S8), centred at TM 4924 9734. Many appear to correspond with features depicted on the 1652 Somerleyton Estate map (S9), which pre-dates the expansion of the park. They include earthworks that appear to delineate the southern and western boundaries of the earlier park (as shown on the map), and thus could include elements of a former park pale, although they could also relate to former roads along these sides of the park (see the 1848 Road Order reproduced in S10). Blocks of what looks like very long, straight ridge and furrow, visible to the west of the main avenue approaching the hall from the south on 1940s aerial photographs, is thought more likely to be of relatively recent, agricultural origin and has not been mapped.
Several of the features were also identified on the ground during a survey of the park (S10). The most complex and extensive earthworks are visible in the southwestern corner of the park, between Church Grove and Glebe House. These are clearly visible on Lidar imagery from 2009 (S8), suggesting that there is a good likelihood that they still survive.
S. Tremlett (Norfolk Historic Environment Service), 24th January 2014.

July 2014. Lothingland, Lowestoft and North Suffolk Coast and Heaths National Mapping Programme.
Additional to the features described above, rectilinear cropmarks visible on CUCAP photographs (S11) to the west of the formal garden (at approximately TM 4915 9773), could represent the footprint of former buildings or structures, or perhaps backfilled pits or sunken features (garden features, or quarries relating to the construction of the hall and gardens, for example). However, as they were not observed on any of the other photographs consulted, and their archaeological origin is uncertain, their presence is merely noted and they have not been mapped.
S. Tremlett (Norfolk Historic Environment Service), 17th 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 (S12) for further details.
S. Tremlett (Norfolk County Council Environment Team), 21 March 2023.