This Parish Summary is an overview of the large amount of information held for the parish, and only selected examples of sites and finds in each period are given. It has been beyond the scope of the project to carry out detailed research into the historical background, documents, maps or other sources, but we hope that the Parish Summaries will encourage users to refer to the detailed records, and to consult the bibliographical sources referred to below. Feedback and any corrections are welcomed by email to heritage@norfolk.gov.uk
Framingham Pigot is a small parish in the east of Norfolk within the Broadland district. It lies just southeast of Norwich and Bixley and is north of Framingham Earl. The derivation of the Framingham village names is interesting. Both are Old English, suggesting the villages have a Saxon origin. Framingham means 'homestead of the followers or family of Fram'. The suffixes were added after the Domesday Survey but perhaps before 1235. They refer to the manors of each village. Framingham Earl was owned by the Earl of Norfolk. The manor at Framingham Pigot was owned by the Picot family. Ralph Picot is recorded as the Lord of the Manor in 1235 when the village was called Framingham Picot. Over time the name has been changed replacing the C with a G. The village therefore was settled at least by the time of the Domesday Book that was compiled in 1086. Archaeological records, however, suggest there was human activity here at a much earlier date.
The earliest dated finds from the parish are a Neolithic axehead and adze (NHER 13223). Other finds recorded during a fieldwalking survey before the construction of a gas pipeline from Yelverton to East Carleton include prehistoric worked flint flakes (NHER 28993, 28994 and 28995) and prehistoric burnt flints (NHER 28994 and 28995). The presence of these objects indicates that there was human activity here at this period. No monuments or sites can be identified, but this may be more a result of lack of archaeological investigation rather than a true absence of archaeological evidence for prehistoric activity.
The same could be said for the Roman period. Despite the presence of a possible Roman road (NHER 9904) there seems to be little other evidence for activity. The gas pipeline survey uncovered fragments of Roman pottery (NHER 28993, 28994 and 28995) but there are no concentrations to suggest settlement. The discovery of a 2nd century AD gold Roman coin (NHER 35974) by a metal detectorist seems even more surprising because of the lack of other evidence for Roman activity.
The Domesday Survey records the presence of Framingham Pigot in the Late Saxon period. Surprisingly there is little archaeological evidence for Saxon Framingham Pigot. One fragment of Middle Saxon pottery (NHER 28993) was recovered during the pipeline fieldwalking. St Andrew's church (NHER 9886) stands on the site of a much earlier church. This early church was demolished in the 19th century and records are garbled so we cannot be certain, but illustrations suggest that at least parts of the building were Late Saxon.
There is also little evidence for the medieval period. Some alterations were made to the early church building during this period. Again the fieldwalking has recovered medieval pottery (NHER 28994) and brick and tile (NHER 28993, 28994 and 30308) but not in sufficient quantities to indicate a site. A complete medieval glass bottle (NHER 25994) was also found. A metal detectorist has found a medieval coin (NHER 34897). These finds may easily have become dispersed throughout the parish, perhaps during manuring.
St
St Andrew's Church, Framingham Pigot. The church was rebuilt in 1869 in Gothic Revival style. Photograph from www.norfolk.churches.co.uk (© S. Knott.)
Several buildings in the village date to the post medieval period. Framingham Hall (NHER 9910) is shown on Faden's 1797 map of Norfolk. It may have been rebuilt in 1805. It was demolished in 1973. Poringland Wood (NHER 37133) in the west of the parish was planted on bare heath in 1840. There are still remains of brickworks inside the wood. St Andrew's Church (NHER 9886) was built in 1854 in Gothic Revival style. It has an unusual tall tower in rather Italian style. Manor House (NHER 9911) was built in 1862 in Tudor style. Finally Old Manor Farm (NHER 12971) was built in the 17th century. This building has been altered throughout its lifetime. Major extensions were added in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Megan Dennis (NLA), 9 December 2005.
Further Reading
Brown, P. (ed.), 1984. Domesday Book, 33 Norfolk, Part I and Part II (Chichester, Phillimore)
Mills, A.D., 1998. Dictionary of English Place Names (Oxford, Oxford University Press)
Rye, J., 2000. A Popular Guide to Norfolk Place-names (Dereham, The Larks Press)