Record Details

NHER Number:33628
Type of record:Monument
Name:Site of medieval to post-medieval market and multi-period finds

Summary

Great cattle fairs were held here in the 18th century, before they were removed to Wimbotsham and then subsequently to Downham Market in 1798. Extensive metal-detecting between 1993 and 2016 has recovered a variety of items including a Mesolithic axe or adze, and Roman and Early Saxon to post-medieval metalwork. Additionally, the presence of a large number of medieval coins suggests that a market may have been located here prior to the 18th century.

Images

  • Medieval strap fitting from NHER 33628  © Norfolk County Council
  • Medieval strap-end from NHER 33628  © Norfolk County Council
  • Post-medieval cloth seal from NHER 33628  © Norfolk County Council

Location

Grid Reference:Not displayed
Map Sheet:TF60SE
Parish:WEREHAM, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

Great cattle fairs held here in 18th century, removed to Wimbotsham then to Downham Market 1798.
From OS card under NHER 4414.
J. Allen (NLA) 7 March 2003.

October 1993. Metal-detector finds on site of Winnold Fair.
Large scatter includes NHER 32799 and 33351.
Early post-medieval Nuremberg-made nesting cup weight container. Maker's stamp a negroid head.
W. Milligan (NCM) 26 October 1993.

1993-1994. Metal-detector finds.
?Late Saxon mount.
Medieval: three belt or strap fittings, three fragments vessel, knife end cap, buckle plate.
Post-medieval: thimble, hooked tag, three buckles and button.
Identified by S. Margeson (NCM). Details and Polaroid in file.
W. Milligan (NCM), 21 April 1997.

1994-1995. Metal-detector finds.
Medieval: two belt mounts, strap end.
Post-medieval: vessel handle, harness mount, buckle, three lead seals, button.
Undated lead object.
Identified by S. Margeson (NCM). Polaroid in file.
Two prehistoric worked flints.
Identified by P. Robins (NCM), 12 June 1995. Details in file.
W. Milligan (NCM), 21 April 1997.

1995-1996. Metal-detector finds.
Five 4th century coins.
Three post-medieval tokens.
Identified by J. Davies (NCM), 18 April 1997. See lists in file.
?Roman mount.
Medieval lead pin, belt slide, belt mount, two harness fittings, buckle, brooch or suspension ring.
Three post-medieval hooked tags.
Two post-medieval buckles.
Two post-medieval buttons, child's thimble and lead cloth seal.
Identified by S. Margeson (NCM), 1996. Details in file.
W. Milligan (NCM), 21 April 1997.

Before 8 September 2003. Metal-detecting. Includes some material from north of NHER 4414.
Four Roman, fourteen medieval and seven post-medieval coins.
Roman, Middle Saxon, Late Saxon and medieval metal objects.
See lists in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 29 October 2003.

Before 4 November 2005. Metal-detecting.
Ninety-four medieval coins perhaps suggestive of a medieval fair or market, and five post-medieval coins.
Medieval (S1), post-medieval and undatable metal objects.
See lists, including nine coin sheets, in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 23 June 2006.

Before 9 July 2007. Metal-detecting.
Three Roman, 24 medieval and two post-medieval coins, medieval and post-medieval objects.
See lists in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 4 October 2007.

Before 2 November 2007. Metal-detecting.
75 medieval and eight post-medieval coins, medieval token.
Early Saxon, Middle Saxon/Late Saxon and medieval metal objects (S3, S4, S5 and S6).
See lists and map in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 1 February 2008.

Before 14 November 2008. Metal-detecting.
One Roman, 68 medieval and seven post-medieval coins, medieval silver finger ring fragments, harness mount, seal matrix, medieval/post-medieval silver lace tag and silver finger ring and a post-medieval silver shield-shaped plate from hawking vervel.
See lists in file.
The post-medieval vervel fragment was submitted as potential Treasure (Treasure case 2008 T692) and subsequently acquired by Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2009.239).
A. Rogerson (NLA), 26 June 2009. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 24 May 2020.

Before 22 November 2010. Metal-detecting.
38 medieval and one post-medieval coin, and two medieval tokens.
A. Rogerson (HES), 28 June 2012.

Before 8 October 2012. Metal-detecting. [2].
Medieval coin weight and strap-ends.
Medieval/post-medieval button and cloth seal.
Information from PAS import.
A. Beckham (HES), 4 December 2012.

December 2015-December 2016. Metal-detecting. Site extended to the whole field. [3].
Mesolithic flint axe or adze.
Bronze Age scraper.
Roman brooch and finger ring fragment.
Medieval/post-medieval rowel spur.
Post-medieval buckles and a harness mount.
The following finds are not recorded on the PAS database:
1 Roman coin.
31 medieval coins.
1 post-medieval coin.
A. Beckham (HES), 21 February 2017. Amended E. McDonald (HES), 3 April 2017.

July-September 2018. Metal-detecting. [4].
5 Roman coins.
2 medieval coins.
Information from PAS import.
E. McDonald (HES), 5 November 2018.

Monument Types

  • FINDSPOT (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
  • FINDSPOT (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
  • FINDSPOT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Early Saxon - 410 AD to 650 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Middle Saxon - 651 AD to 850 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • FAIR (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds

  • RING (Unknown date)
  • UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (Undated)
  • LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
  • AXE (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
  • SCRAPER (TOOL) (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
  • 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 (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • DRESS COMPONENT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • HARNESS (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • STRAP FITTING (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • BROOCH (Roman - 75 AD to 125 AD)
  • FINGER RING (Roman - 100 AD to 300 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 330 AD to 335 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 330 AD to 335 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 330 AD to 335 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 330 AD to 335 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 341 AD to 348 AD)
  • BROOCH (Early Saxon - 411 AD to 650 AD)
  • PIN (Middle Saxon - 651 AD to 850 AD)
  • STRAP END (Middle Saxon - 651 AD to 850 AD)
  • STRAP END (Middle Saxon to Late Saxon - 651 AD to 1065 AD)
  • DRESS COMPONENT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • HARNESS (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • STRAP END (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • STRAP FITTING (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • BROOCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • BROOCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • BUCKLE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • BULL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • CLOTH SEAL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • COIN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • COIN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • COIN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • DRESS COMPONENT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FINGER RING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FINGER RING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FINGER RING (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
  • FURNITURE FITTING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • HARNESS (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • HARNESS MOUNT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • HARNESS PENDANT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • KEY (LOCKING) (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • KNIFE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • LACE TAG (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
  • RING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • SEAL MATRIX (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • STRAP FITTING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • STRAP FITTING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • TOKEN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • TOY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • VESSEL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • COIN (Medieval - 1204 AD to 1210 AD)
  • STRAP END (Medieval - 1270 AD to 1450 AD)
  • ROWEL SPUR (Medieval to 17th Century - 1300 AD to 1700 AD)
  • STRAP END (Medieval - 1300 AD to 1400 AD)
  • COIN WEIGHT (Medieval - 1412 AD to 1464 AD)
  • COIN (Medieval - 1413 AD to 1422 AD)
  • BUTTON (Medieval to 16th Century - 1500 AD to 1600 AD)
  • CLOTH SEAL (Medieval to 17th Century - 1500 AD to 1650 AD)
  • BUCKLE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • BUTTON (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • CLOTH SEAL (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • CLOTH SEAL (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • COIN (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • COIN (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • COIN (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • DRESS COMPONENT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • FINGER RING (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • HARNESS (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • HARNESS MOUNT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • HOOKED TAG (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • RING (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • SEAL (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • THIMBLE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • TOKEN (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • VERVEL (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • VESSEL (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • WEIGHT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • HARNESS MOUNT (16th Century to 17th Century - 1600 AD to 1700 AD)
  • BUCKLE (17th Century to 18th Century - 1660 AD to 1720 AD)
  • BUCKLE (17th Century to 18th Century - 1660 AD to 1720 AD)

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

---Publication: Department for Culture, Media and Sport and British Museum. 2009. Portable Antiquities and Treasure Annual Report 2007. pp 241-242.
---Publication: British Museum. 2010. Treasure Act Annual Report 2008. pp xxvi and xxxii.
---Publication: British Museum. 2011. Treasure Act Annual Report 2009. p xxx.
---Photograph: NLA. Finds Photograph.
---Photograph: I & RS. Digital finds image.
---Photograph: NCC Find Identification and Recording Service. c. 1975-2000. HES Find Polaroid Collection. HES Find Polaroid Collection. polaroid. black and white.
---Monograph: Ashley, S. 2002. Medieval Armorial Horse Furniture in Norfolk. East Anglian Archaeology. No 101.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
---Illustration: Ashley, S.. 2005. Drawing of a medieval horse harness pendant.. Film. 1:1.
---Article in Monograph: Ashley, S. 2016. Anglo-Norman elite objects from castle and countryside. Castles and the Anglo-Norman World. Proceedings of a Conference held at Norwich Castle in 2012. Davies, J. et al (eds). pp 281-298. Fig 18.1 No 8.
<S1>Illustration: Gibbons, J.. 2006. Drawing of a medieval folding strap clasp.. Film. 2:1.
<S3>Illustration: Gibbons, J.. 2008. Drawing of a medieval D-shaped or ovoid strap loop.. Film. 2:1.
<S4>Illustration: Gibbons, J.. 2008. Drawing of a medieval incomplete furniture fitting mount.. Film. 2:1.
<S5>Illustration: Gibbons, J.. 2010. Drawing of a medieval strap loop.. Film. 2:1.
<S6>Illustration: Gibbons, J. 2012. Drawing of a medieval in complete furniture fitting mount.. Film. 2:1.

Related records

32799Related to: Multi-period metal objects and coins (Find Spot)
33351Related to: Roman coins and two post medieval tokens (Find Spot)
4414Related to: Winnold House, Wereham (Building)

Find out more...

Norfolk County Council logo Heritage Lottery Fund logo

Powered by HBSMR-web and the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd, and mojoPortal CMS
© 2007 - 2024 Norfolk Historic Environment Service