Record Details

NHER Number:1425
Type of record:Monument
Name:Iron Age and Roman pits, multi-period finds and site of post medieval fair, Church Nursery

Summary

A series of Iron Age and Roman pits were excavated in 1956 during the construction of a bypass. Iron Age and Roman pottery, Roman tile, an Early Saxon bead, and pottery dating from the Early, Middle or Late Saxon period. This was also the site of a fair during the medieval period.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TF 6829 3805
Map Sheet:TF63NE
Parish:HEACHAM, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

1956. Construction of bypass revealed refuse pits.
Excavated Pit 1: 4.2m (14') diameter, 0.9m (3') deep in centre. Square hole in centre 0.6m x 0.6m and 0.3m (2' x 2' and 1') deep.
Pit 2: Few sherds of Iron Age 'A' pottery.
Pit 3 contained a few scraps of pottery and clay bead painted pale blue with brown rings, possibly Early Saxon.
Also found: Half a bun shaped loom weight; few hard grey sherds ?Early Saxon; fragments of Roman rooftile and 2nd century Samian ware, 4th century Roman pottery, lava quern, animal bones, large buff coloured sherd with brown paint, all 'in a pit' but which not stated.
Also 1 sherd 'found with Early Saxon material' given as 'Ipswich Ware with black core and brown surfaces' by R.R. Clarke (NCM), but (S1) altered to read 'Late Saxon' according to 'everyone' (!).
Oyster shells also found, possibly modern.
Heacham fair held on this site.
One of the sites mentioned by Lowerison in (S2) as evidence for a villa in the park.
E. Rose (NAU)

Monument Types

  • PIT (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • PIT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • MARKET (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds

  • LOOMWEIGHT (Undated)
  • POT (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • ANIMAL REMAINS (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • POT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • QUERN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • ROOF TILE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • BEAD (Early Saxon - 411 AD to 650 AD)
  • POT (Early Saxon - 411 AD to 650 AD)
  • POT (Middle Saxon - 651 AD to 850 AD)
  • POT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • MOLLUSCA REMAINS (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

---Serial: 1956. Council for British Archaeology Group 7 Bulletin of Archaeological Discoveries. No 3. p 3.
---Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TF 63 NE 38; TF 63 NE 63.
---Article in Serial: Hurst, J. G. 1957. Saxo-Norman pottery in East Anglia. Part II Thetford Ware. Proceedings of the Cambridge Antiquarian Society. Vol L (for 1956) pp 29-60.
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Iron Age. Heacham.
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Roman. Heacham.
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Early Saxon. Heacham.
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Late Saxon. Heacham.
<S1>Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
<S2>Newspaper Article: 1923. Eastern Daily Press. 26 October.

Related records - none

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