Norfolk Heritage Explorer

Location

Full description

Remains of a medieval moated site (within NHER 30478, an 18th century historic garden).
Both the Enclosure (S5) and the Tithe maps (S6) depict a rectangular moat with an entrance on the west surrounding a house (NHER 30478) at this position. The present Ordnance Survey maps show only the west and south sides connecting with the river, and a spur to southwest. The north and east sides may have been destroyed, and other sides lengthened, during the last hundred years. The former rectory within the enclosure is now a private house. (S1) states that in 17 Edward III (AD 1343-4) Sir John de Norwich had a licence to crenellate his manor house here (also see S3 in file).
E. Rose (NAU), 17 November 1980.

Various 19th century (and more recent) sources confuse the remains of the nunnery chapel east of the town (NHER 3048) with this building.
See also NHER 3049 for another possible site.
See discussion below.
E. Rose (NAU), 13 August 1984.

Before 1948. Casual Find.
This is one possible location for a find of 13th century tiles, bricks and mortared flints currently recorded under NHER 3049. These finds are described as found in a meadow near Lyng Old Mill House, where traces of a moat and three fishponds were also observed. NHER 12303 has also been suggested as the location of these finds.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 18 January 2008.

Before 1985. Casual Find.
One bellarmine rim and one 16th century green glazed bowl rim were recovered from the island south of the house.
Identified by A. Rogerson (NAU).
A. Rogerson (NAU), 14 February 1985.

Between 1980 and 1994. Casual Find.
Material collected over a few years before 1994, including previously noted finds from NHER 12905.
The finds include medieval and post medieval sherds, with many largish and fresh sherds, as well as a fragment of late medieval brick and a fragment of lava quern.
See list in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 22 December 1994.

NGR corrected from original TG 0714 1775.
M. Horlock (NLA), 25 March 2003.

This site has been extended considerably to the south and therefore the central grid reference has been altered from TG 0713 1774 to TG 0720 1763.

December 2007. Norfolk NMP.
The earthworks of a medieval moated site and associated enclosures, fishponds and boundaries are visible on aerial photographs (S4). The site is centred on TG 0720 1763. Another area of earthworks of probable medieval date has been recorded to the immediate north of the site, see NHER 50737 for details.

The north side of the moat, which is depicted on the 1810 Enclosure map (S5) as being set back from the main river channel, is not visible on the aerial photographs. The extreme western end of the moat is just visible through the tree cover in 1946 (S4). The moat is approximately 65m square and the ditch appears to vary in width from 5m to 7m. The western ditch of the moat is visible only as a series of segmented channels, although some of these breaks are likely to be due to trees blocking the line of the earthworks. Only one break is depicted on the historic maps (S5), a central causeway on the western arm of the moat. Also just visible through the trees is the western end of the additional channel, up to 8m wide, to the north of the main moat, as depicted on the Enclosure map (S5).

The remainder of the site consists of a series of enclosures, boundaries and drainage ditches to the south of the main moat. At TG 0719 1767 is a smaller rectangular enclosure, approximately 25m across. The western arm of this enclosure is up to 5m across and this feature may have acted as a fishpond. A possible trackway or hollow way, 3m wide, and embanked to either side is visible running southeast from the Rectory Road, although given the location and the relationship of the features with the modern drains that cut it, it is possible that this channel acted as a drainage ditch and/or boundary, rather than a routeway. These earthworks to the south of the main moat are not clearly visible on later aerial photographs, such as in 1988 (S7), however the site remains as grassland and therefore it is likely that the features still exist as low and ephemeral earthworks only visible under good winter shadow conditions.

The NMR record for the site interprets the moat as being eighteenth century and contemporary with the Rectory (NMR TG 01 NE 09). The earthwork boundaries and enclosures visible on the aerial photographs to the south of the main enclosure appear to pre-date the layout recorded on the 1810 Enclosure map (S5). The house appears to have been remodelled in the eighteenth century, but is thought to incorporate sixteenth century or earlier components (NHER 30478). Late medieval and post medieval building material has also been recovered from the site (see secondary file (S6) and NHER 12905). Significant quantities of medieval pottery, including early medieval material, have also been recovered from the site, again indicating that the earthworks are likely to be medieval in date.
S. Massey (NMP), 5 December 2007.

Monument Types

• BANK (EARTHWORK) (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
• BOUNDARY DITCH (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
• DRAINAGE DITCH (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
• FINDSPOT (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
• FISHPOND? (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• HOUSE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• MOAT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• RECTANGULAR ENCLOSURE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD?)

Associated Finds

• QUERN (Unknown date)
• BRICK (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• TILE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• POT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status

• SHINE

Sources and further reading

Related records - none

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