Record Details

NHER Number:3748
Type of record:Monument
Name:Medieval settlement

Summary

The earthworks of medieval occupation, including a series of ditched enclosures, building platforms and a common edge boundary can be seen. This is possibly indicative of both manorial and village settlement. In the northern part of the site traces of medieval ridge and furrow can be seen.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TF 7193 1953
Map Sheet:TF71NW
Parish:GAYTON, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

Moat (Ordnance Survey).

1931.
(S1) quote a letter from [1] 16 September 1931 saying that 400m (1/4 mile) northeast of sixth milestone on Gayton road is a moated enclosure with some building on it, near a site where are remains of a church with sherds. (S2) gives same quotation but inserts 'Roman' before sherds!

19 April 1976. Ordnance Survey air photography.
Earthworks.
D. Voisey (NLA), 23 January 1995.

8 July 1976. NAU air photograph.
Shows that the moat is the centre of a complex of ditched enclosures, all rectangular, with a hollow way cutting off the bend in the modern road. No trace of buildings seen on photo.

1979.
Scheduled.
E. Rose NAU).

2 July 1981. Visit.
Earthworks in good condition under pasture, (S7).
E. Rose (NAU).

A partly water filled T shaped depression measuring some 60m in length, 12m in width and 1.6m in depth. The feature is filled by surface drainage and its form within the shrinkage pattern makes it unlikely to have been a moat, simply a pond.
Information from (S2).
R. J. Rickett (NAU), 24 April 1990.

June 1994. Watching Brief.
Observation of footings for new house at TF 7213 1940 on plot to east of scheduled area, directly in line with with hollow way as shown on (S3) by [2].
Topsoil depth 0.35m, undulating interface with natural. Product of historic ploughing? Modern sherds observed but not collected. Sandy clay natual with substantial sand lenses excavated to 1.20m. All trench walls hand cleaned but no suggestion of archaeological features. In fact [1]'s plot is inaccurate, the hollow way clearly swinging to the south and tapering out to join the modern road before it reaches the house site.
See (S4) in file.
A. Crowson (NAU) 13 June 1994.

1996. Earthwork Survey.
Survey at 1:1000. Re interpretation as common edge settlement, possibly in part manorial.
See report (S5) for plan and further details. The site was included in (S8) and the survey is also noted in (S9).
B. Cushion (NLA) June 1996.

December 2000. Scheduled area extended.
Information from (S6).
D. Gurney (NLA), 28 December 2000.

(S6) suggests this might be West Hall Manor, although the house now known as West Hall lies some 550m to the southeast (not on NHER, but adjacent to earthworks NHER 35473).
D. Gurney (NLA), 11 January 2001.

Monument Types

  • CHURCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • ENCLOSURE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FIELD SYSTEM (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • HOLLOW WAY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • HOUSE PLATFORM (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • MANOR (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • MOAT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • RIDGE AND FURROW (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • SHRUNKEN VILLAGE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • TRACKWAY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Associated Finds

  • POT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Protected Status

  • Scheduled Monument

Sources and further reading

---Aerial Photograph: TF7119C-E, onwards OS 73 053 261.
---Publication: 1983. [unknown]. Corbishley, M,. 2.
---Designation: [unknown]. Ancient Monuments Form. SAM Record. DNF455.
---Aerial Photograph: OS 76-019-045.
---Aerial Photograph: OS 76-019-046.
---Aerial Photograph: OS 76-019-047.
---Publication: Coad, V.. 1978. AM7.
---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---Aerial Photograph: 1976. NAU TF7119/C-D 8-JUL-1976.
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Medieval. Gayton.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
---Unpublished Report: Cushion, B. 1996. Gayton SMR3748. Earthwork Survey Report.
---Designation: Department Of The Environment. 1882-1984?. Department of the Environment Scheduling Notification. Notification. DNF455.
---Designation: English Heritage. 1994? -2011?. English Heritage Digital Designation Record. Record. DNF455.
---Designation: Norfolk Archaeological Unit. 1975-?. Norfolk Archaeological Unit Recommendation for Scheduling. Recommendation. DNF455.
<S1>Publication: Clarke, R.R.. 1959-60. NCM records.
<S2>Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TF 71 NW 1; TF 71 NW 16 [2].
<S3>Map: Pirie, J.. 1983. Gayton; From the Ordnance Survey Second Edition 1905. Field 176 Survyed 1978 (O.S.) Remaining Fields by J.R.P. 1982/83..
<S4>Map: Pirie, J. and Crowson, A. (NAU). 1983. Gayton; From the Ordnance Survey Second Edition 1905. With revisions by A. Crowson (NAU)..
<S6>Designation: English Heritage. 1990-2013. English Heritage Scheduling Notification. Notification. DNF455.
<S7>Illustration: Unknown. 1983. Sketch plan of the earthworks of medieval settlement.. Film.
<S8>Monograph: Cushion, B. and Davison, A. 2003. Earthworks of Norfolk. East Anglian Archaeology. No 104. p 102.
<S9>Article in Serial: Gurney, D. and Penn, K. (eds). 1997. Excavations and Surveys in Norfolk 1996. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XLII Pt IV pp 547-564. p 551.

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