Norfolk Heritage Explorer

Location

Full description

Deserted village with ruins of chapel
1903. Roman ring found.
1949-1950. Many human bones found.
1953. Late Saxon cross (NWHCM : 1953.137). See rough sketch and notes (S9). Late Saxon and Bronze Age sherds also found.
1953-1955. Foundations of houses ploughed up, Middle Saxon and Late Saxon sherds, Neolithic axe (S10).
1955. Medieval Purbeck marble bowl (NWHCM : 1956.7). See sketch (S11).
1968. Roman sherds found.
1975. Medieval seal and Middle/Late Saxon strap end found (S12).
1977. Late Saxon, Iron Age and Neolithic sherds found.
1982. Observation of pylon holes.
1983. medieval coins found.
1985. Late Saxon-medieval metalwork found with metal detector (S8). Including two Late Saxon strap ends (S13 and S14).
1987. Middle Saxon, Late Saxon, medieval metalwork found with metal detector.
1995 - 6. Metal detecting. Medieval brooch, buckle, strap end, mount, post medieval seal, medieval jetton.
1996 - 7. Metal detecting. Medieval lead seal matrix (S15), casket/box key, belt mount, buckle.
1997-8. Metal detecting. Medieval metalwork.
See full details in file. Plans and drawings in file.
E. Rose (NLA), 2 August 1999.

Appropriate section from reference (S1) in file.

Before 6 July 2000. Metal detecting.
Medieval, post medieval and undatable metal finds.
See lists in file and map copy showing find locations.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 5 May 2001.

March 2002. Norfolk NMP.
(NGR amended from original [1]).
Cropmarks of Ringstead Deserted Medieval Village visible on Ordnance Survey aerial photographs from 1967 (S2 and S3) and RAF aerial photographs from 1970 (S4) and NLA oblique aerial photographs from 1990 (S5). The site consists of a series of cropmark and soilmarks of the ploughed out banks and ditches of the medieval enclosures that once surrounded the chapel.
The main site appears to sit within a double ditched square enclosure, 250m by 240m. These enclosures may have continued to north and west, but the crop and soil marks are not as clear within these areas. Further boundaries were fossilised in the post medieval field boundaries that surround the site on the 2nd Edition map (1902-7, 25 inch) (S6). The site now appears to be cut through by a linear, running north to south, probably a pipeline or service trench of some sort.
The main square enclosure is divided into four sections by internal ditches and trackways. The ruined chapel is located within the northwestern quadrant of the site at [2] and it appears to have been surrounded by a subrectangular raised area, 38m by 32m. This mound is then surrounded by a ditch/hollow, up to 6m wide. This likely to have been a raised platform on which the chapel and church yard stood. The church platform sits within the southern part of a large rectangular enclosure, centred at [3], defined by banks up 10m wide. However the soilmarks may have suffered from much spreading of material by the plough and the original features may have been much narrower. The enclosure measures 65m by 45m and may have been the location of a manor house or similar status building. To the east of the church is another small banked enclosure, measuring 30m by 20m at [4].
The site is divided by a ditch or hollow way. This street runs from [5] to [6], measuring 435m long and varying between 4.5m and 9m in width. This central track has an accompanying northern bank for the majority of its length. Although as it passes the church it is becomes banked on both sides, from [7] to [8].
The northeastern quadrant of the site appears to be fairly devoid of features. It is not clear whether this was an ‘open’ area such as a paddock or whether further features are not detectable on the aerial photographs. The only visible structures within this area are adjoining the main street to the south. At [9] two banks, 23m apart, run off perpendicular to the main route way’s bank for 25m. A 15m square positive response within this area suggests some sort of activity or sunken feature. Further to the west the main bank turns to the north, creating a rectangular enclosure, 35m by 15m. Again the interior appears to be sunken.
The southeastern quadrant of the site contains an area of linear banks and ditches roughly perpendicular to the street. Centred at [10] is a subrectangular raised area, 21m by 37m, possibly a building platform, which appears to be co-joined to a broad northwest to southeast linear, 67m long and 8m wide. A C-shaped banked feature appears to be co-joined to the southern end of the linear. In between the two raised areas is a rectilinear sunken feature. This linear is also flanked by a narrow ditch to the west. This linear corresponds with another bank and ditch feature, running from [11] to [12]. This may have defined another route-way leading off the main street. At [13], on the eastern edge of the site, another trackway branches out towards the corner of the field.
In the southwest quadrant, a similar pattern of banked rectangular enclosures flanking the street, one located at [14] and another at [15]. To the east of this are a series of parallel linears and a rectangular ditched enclosure at [16], measuring 34m by 10m. The linears seem to define elongated strips, possibly fields or crofts. All of these features are cut by a large curvilinear bank and ditch features which sweeps round from [17] to [18]. This relates to later activity on the site after the majority of the settlement had been deserted. The soilmarks continue to the west of the main enclosure slightly, but the features are less clear. Two banked rectilinear features can be identified, one at [19] and another at [20]. Both seem to be adjoining a continuation of the main street. According to Lewton Brain this trackway was at one time a main road marked as Bluegate on a map of 1623 (1967:17) (S7). To the northern extent of the site, area, centred at [21], are an F-shaped group of banks and ditches, 160m long and 70m across.
The trackway and associated enclosures (NHER 29563), which appear to join the site at the northern corner of the enclosure at [22], may be contemporary with the medieval settlement. However, their morphology and the dating of associated finds could suggest that the trackway is Late Iron Age to Roman and the fact it seems to lead to the Ringstead Parva site may be a coincidence of the palimpsest nature of the site.
S. Massey (NMP), 21 March 2002.

2001-2002. Metal detecting.
Post medieval metal objects.
See list and map in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 29 March 2003.

Before 26 June 2003. Stray find.
In area of chapel.
Three fragments of medieval roofing tile and one fragment of medieval unglazed pottery.
K. Hinds (NLA), 15 July 2003.

2003-2004. Metal detecting.
Medieval and post medieval metal objects.
See lists and map in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 23 December 2004.

2004-2005. Metal-detecting.
Roman samian base sherd.
Roman dolphin brooch, medieval buckle and forked spacer from strap end.
See lists and (S7) in file.
E. Darch (NLA), 14 June 2006.

Before 5 November 2007. Metal-detecting.
Medieval pendant loop for bar mount, undated lead weights and an undated staple.
See description in file.
E. Darch (NLA), 14 March 2008.

Before 3 Febuary 2010. Metal-detecting.
4 Roman coins, medieval buckle, key and musket ball, post medieval buckle and undated metalworking debris.
See description and map in file.
W. Arnold (HES), 11 Febuary 2011.

Monument Types

• FINDSPOT (Unknown date)
• FINDSPOT (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
• FINDSPOT (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
• FINDSPOT (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
• FINDSPOT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• FINDSPOT (Roman to Medieval - 43 AD to 1539 AD)
• FINDSPOT (Middle Saxon - 651 AD to 850 AD)
• CROSS (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
• FINDSPOT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
• BANK (EARTHWORK) (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• CHAPEL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• DESERTED SETTLEMENT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• DITCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• ENCLOSURE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• FIELD BOUNDARY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• FIELD SYSTEM (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• FINDSPOT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• FINDSPOT (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
• HOLLOW WAY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• HOUSE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• HOUSE PLATFORM (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• TRACKWAY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• FINDSPOT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds

• HUMAN REMAINS (Undated)
• METAL WORKING DEBRIS (Unknown date)
• METAL WORKING DEBRIS (Unknown date)
• STAPLE (Unknown date)
• WEIGHT (Unknown date)
• AXEHEAD (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
• LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
• POT (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
• POT (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
• BROOCH (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• FINGER RING (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• POT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• POT MEND (Roman to Medieval - 43 AD to 1539 AD)
• POT (Middle Saxon - 651 AD to 850 AD)
• STRAP FITTING (Middle Saxon - 651 AD to 850 AD)
• CROSS (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
• POT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
• QUERN (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
• STRAP FITTING (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
• VESSEL (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
• ANNULAR BROOCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• BOX (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• BUCKLE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• CASKET (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• COIN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• FINGER RING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• HARNESS PENDANT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• JETTON (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• KEY (LOCKING) (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• MOLLUSCA REMAINS (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• MORTAR (VESSEL) (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• SEAL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• SEAL MATRIX (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
• STRAP END (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• STRAP FITTING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• TILE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• VESSEL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• BUCKLE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• BUTTON (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• FINGER RING (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• HARNESS FITTING (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• HARNESS PENDANT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• MUSKET BALL (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• STRAP FITTING (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument
• Listed Building
• SHINE

Sources and further reading

Related records - none

Find out more...

• Parish Summary: Old Hunstanton (Parish Summary)