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Norfolk Heritage Explorer

Record Details

NHER Number:	39789
Type of record:	Monument
Name:	Late Saxon structure and medieval and post medieval industry, Numbers 36 to 58 Ber Street

Summary

Archaeological investigation in 2003 revealed a Late Saxon structure and evidence of medieval and post medieval industrial use of the site, including sand quarrying, post medieval bell founding and potentially the first tin-glazed earthenware kiln site in England.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:	TG 2329 0806
Map Sheet:	TG20NW
Parish:	NORWICH, NORWICH, NORFOLK

Full description

October-December 2003. Excavation. Contexts 1-1313.
Late Saxon stakeholes, square post holes and a beam slot were encountered at the street frontage, which were interpreted as the remains of a Late Saxon structure. A vast area of deep medieval sand quarrying and backfilling, which had continued through into the post medieval period, occupied almost the whole area of the site. Infilling and further excavation of the quarried area continued into the post medieval period. The later deposits were characterised by an increase in refuse-laden material and the occurrence of industrial waste. The material recovered evidence for a 16th-century Biscuitware kiln site - of considerable significance as this represents the first such site identified in England. Bell-casting waste was also recovered.
Publication awaited. See assessment report (S1) for further details.
The preliminary findings of the analysis of the 16th-century tin-glazed earthenware pottery have been published in (S2).
The archive associated with this work has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2011.54).
J. Allen (NLA), 27 October 2003. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 12 May 2019.

Monument Types

FINDSPOT (Prehistoric - 1000000 BC to 42 AD)
FINDSPOT (Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 701 BC)
BEAM SLOT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
FINDSPOT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
PIT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
POST HOLE (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
STAKE HOLE (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
STRUCTURE (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
FINDSPOT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
INDUSTRIAL SITE (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
QUARRY (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
SAND WORKINGS (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
BELL FOUNDRY (16th Century to 17th Century - 1540 AD to 1699 AD)
BUILDING (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
CELLAR (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
CESS PIT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
COBBLED SURFACE (NHER) (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
FINDSPOT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
FLOOR (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
FLOOR (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
FLOOR (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
OUTBUILDING? (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
PIT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
POST HOLE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
POTTERY KILN (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
STORAGE TANK (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
WALL (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
WATER TANK? (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
WELL (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
WORKSHOP? (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds

ANIMAL REMAINS (Unknown date)
ANIMAL REMAINS (Unknown date)
BIRD REMAINS (Unknown date)
FISH REMAINS (Unknown date)
MAMMAL REMAINS (Unknown date)
MOUNT (Unknown date)
PLANT MACRO REMAINS (Unknown date)
PLUMB BOB (Unknown date)
QUERN (Unknown date)
RING (Unknown date)
SAMPLE (Unknown date)
STRAP FITTING (Unknown date)
WASTE (Unknown date)
WEIGHT (Unknown date)
BLADE (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
FLAKE (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
BLADE (Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 701 BC)
FLAKE (Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 701 BC)
CHARCOAL (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
POT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
VESSEL (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
WASTE (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
WHETSTONE (Late Saxon to Medieval - 851 AD? to 1539 AD?)
ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
BRICK (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
BUCKLE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
DRINKING VESSEL (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
FLOOR TILE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
JUG (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
METAL WORKING DEBRIS (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
MOLLUSCA REMAINS (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
OYSTER SHELL (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
PIN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
ROOF TILE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
THIMBLE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
TOKEN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
WASTE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
WASTE (Medieval - 1066 AD? to 1539 AD?)
WINDOW (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
METAL WORKING DEBRIS (Medieval to 16th Century - 1400 AD to 1599 AD)
METAL WORKING DEBRIS (Medieval to 16th Century - 1400 AD to 1599 AD)
ROD (Medieval to 16th Century - 1400 AD to 1599 AD)
ALEMBIC (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
APOTHECARY JAR (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
BEAKER (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
BELL (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
BELL MOULD (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
BOOK FITTING (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
BOTTLE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
BOWL (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
BRICK (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
BUCKLE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
CANNON MOULD (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
CAST (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
CASTING WASTE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
CLAY PIPE (SMOKING) (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
COIN (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
COMB (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
DISH (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
FLOOR TILE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
FURNITURE FITTING (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
HANDLE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
HINGE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
HORSESHOE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
JETTON (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
KILN FURNITURE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
METAL WORKING DEBRIS (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
MOLLUSCA REMAINS (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
MOULD (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
PANTILE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
PIN (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
POT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
ROOF TILE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
SHOE LAST (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
SHOT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
THIMBLE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
TILE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
VESSEL (16th Century to 17th Century - 1540 AD to 1699 AD)
WALL TILE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
WASTER (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
WIG CURLER (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

---	Article in Serial: Goffin, R. 2012. Following their trade without interruption. Evidence of the Flemish potters and early tin-glazed ware production in Norwich. Medieval Ceramics. Vol 33 pp 72-86.
---	Slide: Various. 2003. Slides 1-168, 36-58 Ber Street, Norwich..
---	Secondary File: Secondary File.
<S1>	Unpublished Contractor Report: Emery, G. 2005. Assessment Report and Updated Project Design for an Archaeological Excavation at the site of the former Warminger's waste paper plant, 36-58 Ber Street, Norwich. Norfolk Archaeological Unit. 1017.

Related records

26508

Part of: Early post medieval occupation, Ber Street/Thorn Lane/Horns Lane (Monument)