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Record Details

NHER Number:5531
Type of record:Monument
Name:North Lynn deserted medieval village and church

Summary

The site of North Lynn deserted medieval settlement. The village church of St Edmund was washed away in 1271 and the ruins again flooded in the 17th century, after which the remaining stonework was removed. Excavations in the 1950s and 1960s revealed the foundations of the church and other buildings and evidence of industrial activity, together with tiles, pottery fragments, stained glass and window leading. Today, the site is occupied by a vast agro-chemical works. For details of cropmarks and earthworks which may relate to this deserted settlement, see NHER 27889.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TF 6135 2127
Map Sheet:TF62SW
Parish:KING’S LYNN, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

EARTHWORKS AND CROPMARKS OF THIS SITE ARE ALSO RECORDED SEPARATELY UNDER NHER 27889.

1953. Excavation.
South-eastern remains may belong to St. Edmund's Church. The remainder of the excavated buildings appear to be domestic, belonging to North Lynn deserted settlement. Finds included building materials, tiles, stained glass, quern stones etc.
See press cutting (S1) in file.
R.R. Clarke (NCM).

1954 onwards. Site ploughed.
1956. 'Cartloads of stones removed' according to map in KLM.

1960. Field Visit.
R.R. Clarke reported that this site was to be developed on and built over by a new chemical factory.
G. Hurst and R. R. Clarke visited the site and reported that since trial trenching in 1953 which revealed extensive foundations, that the site has been levelled and ploughed. It is therefore unclear how much will remain in situ.
See (S2) for short summary.

1965. Stray finds.
Medieval sherds (13th-14th century) found near site of medieval buildings approximately 650 yards (600m) south-south-west of North Lynn Farm.
Information from NCM card.

1966. Excavation as site under threat from expansion of Chemical Factory.
Revealed footings of brick and stone walls, glass, bones and pottery including stamped ware.
Information from (S3).
E.B. Green (NCM).

1967. Excavation of area measuring 27.5m by 36.5m.
Carried out by E.J. Talbot (KLAS) on the remaining portion of the deserted settlement. This revealed the plan of what seems to be a farm which had associated industrial structures, of which the occupation finishes in c. 1500. Deeper excavation revealed deposits that go back to the 13th century. There are no traces of St. Edmund’s Church which was destroyed by the floods in the 18th century.
Information from (S4) and (S5).
(S6) states 3 Stamford ware sherds, traces of a kiln, and another kiln 3ft (0.9m) in diameter with 6ft 6in (2m) flue with 11th-12th century sherds.
E.B. Green (NCM).

1979. Medieval sherds and metalwork found in pipe laying.
See details in file.
Appropriate section from reference (S2) in file.
E. Rose (NLA), 21 May 1990 amended by M. Langham-Lopez (HES), 02 May 2013.

(S7) states that the church was destroyed by floods shortly before 1685. A faculty for that year gave permission for stones to be removed from the churchyard, the church being 'all demolished' after the 'overflowing of the sea into the church'.
A. Cattermole (King's Lynn UAD), 3 February 2020.

Monument Types

  • KILN (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • BUILDING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • CHURCH (Medieval to 17th Century - 1066 AD to 1685 AD)
  • DESERTED SETTLEMENT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FONT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • INDUSTRIAL SITE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • WALL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Associated Finds

  • ANIMAL REMAINS (Unknown date)
  • NECKLACE (Unknown date)
  • POT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • COFFIN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FLOOR TILE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • HUMAN REMAINS (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • MORTAR (VESSEL) (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • QUERN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • STAINED GLASS (WINDOW) (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • POT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • POT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

---Article in Serial: Green, C., Rigold, S. E. and Clarke, R. R. 1954. Other Archaeological Excavations 1953. Norfolk Research Committee Bulletin. Series 1 No 6 (for 1953) pp 2-4. p 3.
---Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1943. RAF AC/161/140 5062-3 01-JAN-1943 (NMR).
---Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1945. RAF 106G/UK/401 4001 18-JUN-1945 (NMR).
---Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1947. RAF CPE/UK/2308 5051-2 11-SEP-1947 (NMR).
---Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1946. RAF 106G/UK/1427 3171 16-APR-1946.
---Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TF 62 SW 2 [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. King's Lynn [4].
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
---Collection: Norfolk Historic Environment Record Staff. 1975-[2000]. HER Record Notes. Norfolk Historic Environment Service.
<S1>Newspaper Article: Lynn News and Advertiser. 1953. Old W. Lynn Church believed discovered at N. Lynn now. 15 May.
<S2>Article in Serial: Wilson, D. M. and Hurst, D. G. 1962. Medieval Britain in 1960. Medieval Archaeology. Vol IV (for 1961) pp 309-339. p 333.
<S3>Serial: 1966. Council for British Archaeology Group 7 Bulletin of Archaeological Discoveries for 1966. No 13.
<S4>Serial: 1969. Council for British Archaeology Group 7 Bulletin of Archaeological Discoveries for 1969. No 16.
<S5>Article in Serial: Wilson, D. M. and Hurst, D. G. 1969. Medieval Britain in 1967. Medieval Archaeology. Vol XII (for 1968) pp 155-211. p 201.
<S6>Article in Serial: Nicholls, J.. 1967. Preliminary Report on Excavations conducted at King's Lynn. Norfolk Research Committee Bulletin. Series 1 No 17 pp 15-16. pp 15-16.
<S7>Monograph: Batcock, N. 1991. The Ruined and Disused Churches of Norfolk. East Anglian Archaeology. No 51. Microfiche 5:G12. No 191; p 54.

Related records

27889Related to: Cropmarks and earthworks relating to North Lynn deserted settlement (Monument)

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