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Norfolk Heritage Explorer

Record Details

NHER Number:	5352
Type of record:	Monument
Name:	Bowthorpe deserted medieval village

Summary

This is the site of Bowthorpe deserted medieval village. The village church (NHER 58792) originated in the Saxon period but was abandoned by the 16th century and survives only as ruins. The village also appears to have been very sparsely populated by the 16th century and was consolidated with Earlham in 1789, leaving the medieval buildings to gradually become dilapidated. Metal-detecting at this site between 1974 and 1987 has recovered a diverse range of artefacts including a medieval belt hook, Early Saxon brooch and Roman coin.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:	TG 1775 0906
Map Sheet:	TG10NE
Parish:	BOWTHORPE, NORWICH, NORFOLK
	COSTESSEY, NORWICH, NORFOLK

Full description

Site of deserted village.

BOWTHORPE HALL, PREVIOUSLY RECORDED UNDER THIS NUMBER, IS NOW RECORDED UNDER NHER 58791.
RUINS OF ST MICHAEL'S CHURCH, BOWTHORPE, PREVIOUSLY RECORDED UNDER THIS NUMBER, IS NOW RECORDED UNDER NHER 58792.

Pre-1974. Stray find.
Medieval sherds found.

1975.
Very large ditch or pit seen in section. Foundations, Early Saxon and medieval sherd.

January 1977. Geophysical Survey.
Attempted geophysical survey by Ancient Monuments Laboratory. This work was intended to investigate the direction and associations of the large feature that had been revealed in a pipe trench in 1975 but was hindered by the presence of several gipsy caravans. Preliminary scanning identified a number of broad anomalies but these could not be traced to a distinctive or continuous pattern. Three 30m squares were surveyed in an appropriate area of open ground but the weak anomalies detected did not give the impression of being distinctive archaeological features.
See report (S1) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 5 March 2015.

1978. Metal-detecting.
Medieval coin and belt hook.

1983. Metal-detecting.
Late Roman strap-end.
Early Saxon brooch.
Medieval to post medieval finger ring.
E.B. Green (NCM), February 1984.

1986. Metal-detecting.
Late Saxon-medieval brooch found with metal detector.

1987. Metal-detecting.
Roman coin.

Monument Types

BUILDING (Unknown date)
DITCH (Unknown date)
FLOOR (Unknown date)
HEARTH (Unknown date)
PIT (Unknown date)

Associated Finds

HUMAN REMAINS (Unknown date)
MOLLUSCA REMAINS (Undated)
STRAP END (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
BROOCH (Early Saxon - 411 AD to 650 AD)
POT (Early Saxon - 411 AD to 650 AD)
BROOCH (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
BROOCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
COIN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
FINGER RING (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
QUERN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
STRAP FITTING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
DOOR (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
POT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status

Listed Building
Scheduled Monument

Sources and further reading

---	Aerial Photograph: TG1709H-J.
---	Serial: 1975. Council for British Archaeology Group 7 Bulletin of Archaeological Discoveries for 1975. No 22. p 6.
---	Monograph: 1983. Bowthorpe, a Community's Beginnings.. p 12.
---	Illustration: Various. Various. Architectural plans.
---	Map: Finder's Map..
---	Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TG 10 NE 10 [3].
---	Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---	Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Medieval. Costessey.
---	Secondary File: Secondary File.
---	Slide: Various. Slide.
---	Fiche: Exists.
---	Collection: Norfolk Historic Environment Record Staff. 1975-[2000]. HER Record Notes. Norfolk Historic Environment Service.
<S1>	Unpublished Contractor Report: David, A. 1977. Cringleford, Norwich and Bowthorpe Norwich. Report of Geophysical Surveys. Ancient Monuments Laboratory. G 76/29.