Record Details

NHER Number:16738
Type of record:Monument
Name:Roman settlement

Summary

A large number of Roman finds including coins, brooches, bricks and tiles recovered by metal detecting and fieldwalking between 1980 and 2012. These indicate the possible presence of a Roman settlement. Saxon, medieval and post medieval objects have also been found. Cropmarks can also be seen on aerial photographs in the area of finds, which appear to represent enclosures or possible buildings (NHER58602).

Images

  • a 9th century AD copper alloy strap end from Hainford. It depicts a zoomorphic terminal and a roughly incised human face in the frame above  © Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service and S. White
  • A medieval scabbard chape from Hainford. It depicts a lion in openwork  © Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service and S. White
  • Drawing of a Roman ring from Hainford. The circular bezel in the centre of the ring originally held a gem.  © Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service and S. White

Location

Grid Reference:Not displayed
Map Sheet:TG21NW
Parish:HAINFORD, BROADLAND, NORFOLK

Full description

CROPMARKS FROM THIS SITE ARE RECORDED UNDER 58602

1980. Fieldwalking.
A thin scattering of Romano-British coarse ware was observed [1]. The scatter included one sherd of late red-slipped ware.
See list in file.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 01 February 2008.

November 1980. Metal detecting [2].
15 Roman coins were found [3] along with a fragment of a pin of possible Roman date and an Early Saxon cruciform brooch. A concentration of 12 further Roman coins was also found [4], possibly representing a dispersed 1st-2nd century hoard.
See list in file.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 01 February 2008.

1982. Metal detecting [2].
Five Roman coins were recovered [3].
One additional Roman coin was found at a second location [5].
Six Roman coins were recovered from a third location [6] along with Roman pottery, a tegula fragment, and a medieval ring brooch.
See list in file.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 01 February 2008.

January 1983. Metal detecting [7].
Several Roman coins were recovered [3].
See list in file.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 01 February 2008.

November 1986 to January 1987. Metal detecting [8].
23 Roman coins, primarily 1st-2nd century, were found [6] along with an early Roman protected-loop terret.
Additional 1st-4th century Roman coins were recovered from further detecting in the area.
See list in file.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 01 February 2008.

December 1986. Metal detecting [9].
A 7th century brooch, a 9th century strap end with a zoomorphic terminal, a medieval bronze plate, a 16th century button, and an unidentified post medieval item were recovered.
See list in file.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 01 February 2008.

1987. Metal detecting [8].
A miniature Late Iron Age terret, Roman coins, brooches, finger rings, pottery sherds, a Late Saxon brooch, and a medieval scabbard chape were recovered as well as tweezers of possibly Roman date.
See list in file.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 01 February 2008.

1987. Metal detecting [10].
Roman coins, a Roman finger ring, and an undated lozenge plate brooch were recovered.
See list in file.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 01 February 2008.

April 1988. Metal detecting [8].
A late 1st century Roman brooch was found.
Unidentified object.
See list in file.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 01 February 2008.

December 1988. Metal detecting [11].
An unidentified bronze object was recovered.
See list in file.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 01 February 2008.

January 1989. Metal detecting [10].
A Late Saxon brooch was found.
See list in file.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 01 February 2008.

October 1989. Metal detecting [8].
Roman pottery, tile fragments (tegulae and imbrices), coins, and brooches were recovered along with an undated loop terret and a bracelet fragment.
See list in file.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 01 February 2008.

August 1990. Metal detecting [10].
A 16th century figurine was found.
See list in file.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 01 February 2008.

1991 to 1992. Metal detecting [10].
Roman coins, Roman brooches, and a Late Saxon brooch were recovered.
See list in file.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 01 February 2008.

January 1993. Metal detecting [12].
A Roman brooch and a medieval hooked fastener for a belt were found.
See list in file.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 01 February 2008.

1993. Metal detecting [10].
Roman brooches, a Roman bronze knife handle were found.
See list in file.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 01 February 2008.

1994. Metal detecting [12].
Four Roman coins were recovered.
See full details, (S1), (S2) and photograph list in file.

1997. Metal detecting [2].
Fourteen and three Roman coins, Roman brooches, Roman sherds, and an unidentified Post medieval object.
Found in two lots.
K. Sussams (NCM), 10 May 1999.

1999 to 2000. Field Observation [2][13].
The general extent of the finds scatter was confirmed and a pronounced concentration of tile was observed in the area of Context 1. The tile scatter consists primarily of roof tile. No tesserae were noted. A few sherds of greyware were noted.
See (S3) in file.
D. Gurney (NLA), 10 February 2000.

2001. Metal detecting.
Site area was slightly extended to the west.
A Medieval/post medieval coin and a post medieval coin were recovered.
See list in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 28 March 2002.

May/June 2003. Metal-detecting [15].
1 Early Saxon cruciform brooch fragment (the foot).
Identified by S. Ashley (NLA). See description in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 21 July 2003.
Updated by J. Page (HES), 25 February 2014.

October/November 2004. Metal-detecting in south end of field [14][15].
2 Early Saxon brooches (1 long, 1 cruciform),
1 medieval harness or belt mount (gilt).
Identified by S. Ashley (NLA). See lists in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 20 December 2004.
Updated by J. Page (HES), 25 February 2014.

Before 2 November 2006. Metal-detecting.
A plated denarius of Tiberius and a Roman crossbow brooch were recovered.
See lists in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 18 December 2006.

2009. Metal detecting.
8 Roman coins and a Roman/Early Saxon belt stiffener,
See description in file,
A. Rogerson, (NLA), 28 January 2010

December 2011-January 2012. Metal-detecting.
Four Roman coins.
See lists in file.
A. Marsden (HES), 25 January 2012.

December 2012.
Faint cropmarks of possible enclosures or buildings are visible on Google Earth imagery (S4) in the centre of this area (NHER 58602), cut by the modern road. These may indicate the position of the Roman settlement.
K. Powell (HES), 3 December 2012

January 2013.
Condition of Scheduled Monument in Cultivation Risk assessment.
See (S5).
K. Powell (HES), 2 January 2014.

March 2015
The interpretation of this site as a Roman settlement may be complicated by the relationship between the cropmarks (NHER 58602) and the road. This road has been interpreted as a Roman road (NHER 7598) leading from Brampton to Thorpe St Andrew, although evidence for this is scarce. The cropmarks do appear to be cut by the road and on a different alignment, consequently they may be prehistoric in date, although this is not supported by the artefactual evidence.
K. Powell (HES), 3 March 2015

Monument Types

  • FINDSPOT (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • BUILDING (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • SETTLEMENT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Early Saxon - 410 AD to 650 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Associated Finds

  • BROOCH (Unknown date)
  • TWEEZERS (Unknown date)
  • UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (Undated)
  • HARNESS FITTING (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • BRACELET (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • BROOCH (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • COIN HOARD? (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • FINGER RING (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • HARNESS FITTING (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • KNIFE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • PIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • POT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • RING (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • ROOF TILE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • STRAP FITTING (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • STRAP FITTING (Roman to Early Saxon - 43 AD to 650 AD)
  • TEGULA (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • TWEEZERS (Roman - 43 AD? to 409 AD?)
  • COIN (Roman - 268 AD to 270 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 286 AD to 293 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 331 AD to 332 AD)
  • BROOCH (Early Saxon - 411 AD to 650 AD)
  • BROOCH (Middle Saxon - 651 AD to 850 AD)
  • BROOCH (Middle Saxon to Late Saxon - 651 AD to 1065 AD)
  • STRAP END (Middle Saxon to Late Saxon - 800 AD to 899 AD)
  • BROOCH (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • BROOCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • COIN (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
  • HARNESS MOUNT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • MOUNT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • SCABBARD (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • STRAP FITTING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • BUTTON (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • COIN (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • FIGURINE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status

  • SHINE

Sources and further reading

---Article in Serial: Margeson, S. 1992. Middle and Late Saxon Norfolk. The Annual. Vol 1, pp 29-36.
---Photograph: NLA. Finds Photograph.
---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---Illustration: Penn, K. 1986. Drawing of a Middle Saxon equal armed brooch.. Film. 2:1.
---Illustration: Bradley, S.. 1987. Drawing of a Late Iron Age miniature terret.. Film. 2:1.
---Illustration: Bradley, S.. 1987. Drawing of a Late Iron Age/Early Romano British copper alloy hinged dolphin brooch.. Film. 2:1.
---Illustration: Bradley, S.. 1987. Drawing of a Romano British copper alloy finger ring.. Film. 2:1.
---Illustration: Bradley, S.. 1987. Drawing of a medieval openwork copper alloy scabbard chape. Film. 2:1.
---Illustration: Gibbons, J.. 2005. Drawing of a Romano British gilt copper alloy crossbow brooch.. Film. 2:1.
---Photograph: 2002. KTV 11, Early Saxon cruciform brooch foot..
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
---Collection: Norfolk Historic Environment Record Staff. 1975-[2000]. HER Record Notes. Norfolk Historic Environment Service.
---Photograph: EXJ1-3,EXC22-3,EDV25-7,CKG24-9,EAF21-8,EDS24-9,EAQ1-6,EUG11,FHR29-36,FTD17-19.
<S2>Map: Finder's Map..
<S3>Unpublished Document: Gurney, D.. 2000. Tile fragments report. 10 February.
<S4>Vertical Aerial Photograph: Google Earth. ? - present. Google Earth Orthophotographs. https://earth.google.com/web. 02-JUL-2006 Accessed 29-JAN-2013.
<S5>Unpublished Document: HES. 2013. Cosmic Risk Assessment Roman Settlement at Hainford (HER 16738 and 58602).

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