18 SCIENTIFIC SURVEY OF NORWICH AND DISTRICT 
tended to isolate the settlement of the Iceni of the east from the habita- 
tions of Breckland. The light woodlands of the boulder clay were prob- 
ably left standing until the coming of the Romans, A.D. 50, who penetrated 
and partly cleared them. Dr. Darby’s map of Domesday Woodland 
shows a fairly definite distribution of trees over the boulder clay lands 
here, although the process of clearing had made considerable headway 
by that time and at the present time South Norfolk is one of the least 
wooded of all the sub-regions of Norfolk. The heavy and tenacious soil 
covers about 70 per cent. of this area. Of the remainder the greater part 
is medium, although there are a number of patches of light soils. Where 
the soil is heavy, the fields are drained by ditches, 4 to 5 ft. deep, and the 
land is often piped as well. Little foot-bridges leading to the front gates 
of the cottages are a noticeable feature, while in the spring the banks of 
the ditches are yellow with primroses, and later in the year the meadows 
sparkle with cowslips. Cottages built of clay lump or stud and plaster 
are so common that they may be said to be a characteristic of this district. 
In Tacolnestone, Forncett, Bunwell, Carleton Rode, Aslacton, Tibenham, 
Tivetshall, Gissing and Old Buckenham,"* cottages of this type with their 
thatched roofs and colour wash of pink, white and yellow, stand out in a 
pleasing contrast to the new council houses so rapidly springing up around 
them. Although many villages still possess their commons crossed by 
unfenced roads, quite a number of the old commons were divided up by 
the inhabitants about 100 years ago. ‘The sites of these old commons 
are often indicated by the distance of the houses from the present position 
of the road with a regular line of the houses about 100 yds. or so back, 
with long gardens or meadows in front. Mixed farming is general; good 
crops of wheat, barley, beans, peas and sugar beet are produced. The 
inclusion of beans as part of the rotation of crops is more common here 
than in any other sub-region, winter sowing being the general practice. 
In Arthur Young’s time it was an important hemp-growing district, the 
water of the Waveney being suitable for retting, and the local industry 
of making mats at Diss may be a survival of the old hemp spinning. A 
map showing the orchards of 1910 +” records this area as the chief orchard 
district of Norfolk ; the orchards appear to have been of long standing, 
and have given rise to the cider-making of Banham and Attleborough. 
Mid-Norfolk.—Mid-Norfolk lies to the north-west of South Norfolk 
and is similar to it in many respects. Both sub-regions are boulder-clay 
districts covered with light forests in early times, but the woodland of 
the south was more pronounced, due to the smaller proportion of heavy 
soils in Mid-Norfolk. The elevation of Mid-Norfolk is somewhat higher, 
and although there are some flat areas the undulations are somewhat 
steeper, especially in the north-west boundary where the Morainic Ridge 
dominates the landscape. The rivers have a general east and west direc- 
tion, carry more water, and on the whole have cut deeper and wider valleys. 
In each area the spread of the population is well distributed over the whole 
region, clusters of houses being interspersed between the valleys and the 
16 Claude J. W. Messent, The Old Cottages and Farm Houses of Norfolk. 
1” L. F. Newman, ‘Soils and Agriculture of Norfolk,’ Trans. Norfolk and 
Norwich Naturalists’ Society. 
