Monument record ADT 057 - Post medieval flood bank

A former floodbank can clearly be seen, first as an earthwork (S1) and then later as a soilmark (S2), running from TM32284020 to TM33224040 to the south of Alderton parish. The bank was ploughed out between 1955 and 1963, with the exception of the small section along which the track runs. The bank is depicted on the OS 1st Ed of 1881 (S3), although even at that date at least the western section, away from the Fleet, appears to have been superceded by another bank placed between it and the Deben. The suggestion that the bank was no longer significant in 1881 is also supported by the fact that a section of bank that can be seen as a soil mark at the far northern end (c. TM3234 4016) (S2), is not depicted on this map suggesting that it was already out of use by that date. Between the bank described above and the drainage channel it is also possible to see short sections of another feature, possibly an earlier bank, which unlike the more complete bank depicted on the OS 1st Ed appear to have little height in 1948 (S1), but which show clearly as soil marks in 1965 (S2).

February 2016. Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Beauty National Mapping Programme.
A small additional section of bank has been added to the northern end of this site. It is visible as soilmarks on aerial photographs (S4).
S. Horlock (Norfolk Historic Environment Service), 16th February 2016.