Monument record SUE 057 - A section of Post-Medieval relict sea bank in Sudbourne parish

A section of relict sea bank and an associated ditch in the parish of Sudbourne are visible as an earthwork and soilmark on aerial photographs from 1943 onwards, centred on circa TM45505505 (S1). The section of sea bank is almost 550m in length and runs from circa TM45295503 in the west to TM45695485 in the east, where it is separated from the main seabank (SUE 084) by the cut of a drain. It is flanked by an accompanying ditch on it's north eastern side. On photographs of the 1940s the western half of the sea bank can still be seen as an earthwork approximately 315 in length (S1, S2). This is separated from the eastern half which is visible as a lower earthwork, probably eroded, by the line of a drain. However, on photographs from 1952 the bank and ditch appear to have been levelled by ploughing, and on photographs of 1972, the western half is clearly visible as a soilmark (S3, S4). The date of construction of this bank is unclear. It is marked on map of circa 1800, prior to the reclamation of the final tip of Sudbourne marshes, and therefore predates c.1800 (S5), and is probably marked on a map by Norden of 1601 as part of the main sea bank, SUE 084 (S6). This section of sea wall may therefore date to the early Post-Medieval or late Medieval period.