Norfolk NMP

The aim of the Norfolk NMP project is to map archaeological sites from aerial photographs across the entire county of Norfolk.

It is hoped that the project will lead to a better understanding of not only the archaeology of the county as a whole, but also the history of the different landscapes within it. The valleys, marshes and uplands surrounding the Broads, or the flat fenlands in the west of the county, for example, will be studied both as distinct landscapes in their own right and within the wider setting of the archaeology of Norfolk and the surrounding region. To date, the Norfolk NMP project has almost doubled the number of archaeological sites recorded for each 5km² map sheet. This trend is consistent with national NMP results and clearly illustrates how the project will dramatically transform our knowledge of the archaeological landscape of Norfolk.

The coastal zone has been the first area to be mapped by the project. The coast has been prioritised as part of an English Heritage national initiative to assess the archaeological potential of the coastlines of England. The Norfolk coastal mapping will feed into The Norfolk Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey, which will also encompass archival research and a ground-based survey of the inter-tidal and coastal zones.

The Norfolk NMP has already mapped a wide variety of archaeological sites, from prehistoric barrows to Second World War military remains such as prisoner-of-war camps. Many of these sites are associated with coastal activities. For example, the remains of more than 200 saltern mounds indicate the presence of a major salt processing complex near King's Lynn. The majority of this salt working dates to the Anglo-Saxon and medieval periods, although areas of Romano-British production were also evident. From the more recent past, extensive Second World War coastal defences have been mapped from wartime and post-war photographs.

Other sites may have benefited from a coastal location but cannot be described as specifically coastal in nature. Numerous Bronze Age barrows have been identified on Salthouse Heath, while extensive Iron Age to Romano-British rural settlements and field systems have been mapped at Snettisham and Heacham. The coastal zone also includes some of the best known and well preserved archaeological sites in Norfolk, such as Burgh Castle and Warham Camp.

The Norfolk NMP project is being carried out by staff from Norfolk Landscape Archaeology based in Gressenhall in Norfolk.  

The images used on this page are copyright English Heritage unless specified otherwise. For further details of any photographs or other images and for copies of these, or the plans and reports related to the project please contact the NMR English Heritage's public archive.

For further information on a project or any other aspect of the work of the Aerial Survey team please contact us at: AerialSurvey@english-heritage.org.uk.