Norfolk ALSF NMP

The Norfolk ALSF NMP formed part of the Norfolk Aggregates Assessment Project (5241) which was undertaken by Norfolk Landscape Archaeology (part of Norfolk County Council’s Museums and Archaeology Service), funded by the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund (ALSF). The main impetus behind the project is the proposed alteration to patterns of future aggregate extraction within Norfolk in the next fifteen years, with a move away from extraction within environmentally sensitive areas such as river valleys, and the consequent need to plan for the archaeological impact of this changed approach.

The geology of East Anglia is extremely complex, in particular its recent superficial or ‘drift’ geology. Because a variety of mineral resources are available for exploitation, widely spread across the county, four Sub-Units, each of 45 sq km, have been selected for detailed investigation and assessment. These provide a sample of four broad Study Areas defined by aggregate type: Norwich Crag, Plateau Gravels, River Gravels, and Lower Greensand and Fen Edge Gravels. The detailed assessment includes identifying and recording archaeological sites from aerial photographs to National Mapping Programme (NMP) standards. This work follows on from an earlier Norfolk NMP project, which covered the Coastal and Broads landscapes.

The NMP phase of the project is now complete, having recorded more than 500 archaeological sites, over 300 of which are new discoveries. Highlights of the mapping have included prehistoric funerary and ceremonial monuments, and enclosures and settlements – some quite extensive – ranging in date from the Iron Age to the post medieval period. Some have already been destroyed by aggregate extraction; others may be threatened in the near future. A proportion have already been the subject of extensive archaeological excavation prior to extraction taking place. For these, the NMP mapping has provided a vital insight into the contemporary landscape surrounding the sites.

For further details about the Norfolk NMP project, please contact:
Norfolk Landscape Archaeology, Union House, Gressenhall, Dereham, Norfolk, NR20 4DR; tel: 01362 869283; email: sophie.tremlett@norfolk.gov.uk

Further details of these and other archaeological sites in Norfolk can be found on the Norfolk Heritage Explorer website.

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.