Record Details

NHER Number:5952
Type of record:Monument
Name:Deserted medieval and post medieval village of Kilverstone

Summary

This is the site of the medieval and post medieval village of Kilverstone, mentioned in the Domesday Book and virtually deserted by the late 18th century when a landscape park was created around Kilverstone Hall. The earthworks of hollow ways, house platforms and tofts are visible on aerial photographs taken in 1946, but these earthworks have since been destroyed by ploughing. There were two manorial sites in the village, Coxford's and Monk's Hall. Both manors were in ecclesiastical hands until the 16th century, and by the late 16th century both manors were held by Thomas Wright. Detailed documentary research has shed light on the history of the village and its inhabitants. Fieldwalking on the site has recovered concentrations of Roman, medieval and post medieval pottery.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TL 894 839
Map Sheet:TL88SE
Parish:KILVERSTONE, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK

Full description

Earthwork remains of possible destroyed moated site.

1970.
Quay reported found.

1977. Fieldwalking.
Roman, Late Saxon, medieval sherds.

1980 to 1981.
Roman, medieval sherds and querns.

For full details see report in file.
NCM and PP.
E. Rose (NAU) 23 March 1981.

There were two manorial sites in the village, Coxford's and Monk's Hall. Both manors were in ecclesiastical hands until the Dissolution, and by the late 16th century both manors were held by Thomas Wright.
Detailed documentary research has shed light on the history of the village and its inhabitants.
See (S1) for more information.
S. Spooner (NLA) 24 April 2006

The central grid reference for this site has been altered from TL 895 839 to TL 8939 8398.

March 2010. Norfolk NMP.
The earthworks of the former medieval settlement within Kilverstone Park are visible on aerial photographs (S2-S6). The site is centred on TL 8939 8398. The site consists of two reasonably discrete areas of enclosures and tofts and crofts; an eastern and western area, which are separated by the post medieval hall itself and post medieval to modern landscaping. The records relate to two manorial sites at this location, which were divided by Tunny Lane to the west of the church, see secondary file. The earthworks of this lane were hard to decipher and are probably partly obscured by the boundary that runs along this route.
The eastern group consists of a series of rectangular building platforms or tofts set back from the river and slightly terraced into the slope. Linear boundaries forming crofts run up to the slope towards a trackway and/hollow way. The continuation of this road or track ‘The Bretham Way’ (S1) as cropmarks is visible to the east of the park (S6). The remains of a rectilinear embanked enclosure or platform, seemingly pre-dating the current enclosure around the church, can be seen to the immediate south of the church. This could represent part of a late Saxon phase to the site. This area to the south of the church is thought to have been the location of de Monks Hall (S6). The earthworks in this area were hard to decipher due to vegetation and the exact site of the manor building is not certain, although the well pronounced platform at TL 8943 8388 may relate to it.
The western area of earthworks also consists of probable tofts and crofts following a different alignment to those alongside the river and are probably arranged along Green Lane. The possible traces of ridge and furrow markings were tentatively identified further along this Lane to the south on aerial photographs taken in 1975 (S7), however these were not mapped as they could not confidently be identified on earlier photographs.
S. Horlock (NMP), 12 March 2010.

Monument Types

  • WALL (Unknown date)
  • DESERTED SETTLEMENT (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)
  • TOFT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • HA HA (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds

  • METAL WORKING DEBRIS (Undated)
  • POT (Undated)
  • QUERN (Undated)
  • POT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • POT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • ROOF TILE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • POT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • ROOF TILE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status

  • SHINE

Sources and further reading

---Aerial Photograph: TL8983A, TL8984A-B.
---Map: Finder's Map..
---Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TL 88 SE 40 [2]; TL 88 SE 72.
---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---Correspondence: Davison, A.. 1981. Letter. 23 November.
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Medieval. Kilverstone [2].
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
---Collection: Norfolk Historic Environment Record Staff. 1975-[2000]. HER Record Notes. Norfolk Historic Environment Service.
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Miscellaneous. Kilverstone.
<S1>Monograph: Davison, A. 1988. Six Deserted Villages in Norfolk. East Anglian Archaeology. No 44. pp 20-37.
<S2>Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1946. RAF 3G/TUD/UK/59 5199-5200 05-FEB-1946 (NMR).
<S3>Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1946. RAF 3G/TUD/UK/59 5320-1 05-FEB-1946 (NMR).
<S4>Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1961. RAF 58/4686 (F21) 0007-8 18-SEP-1961 (NMR).
<S5>Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1961. RAF 58/4686 (F21) 0007-8 18-SEP-1961 (NMR).
<S6>Vertical Aerial Photograph: Meridian Airmaps Limited. 1976. MAL/ 76042 086-7 10-JUN-1976 (NMR).
<S7>Vertical Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1975. OS/ 75178 230-1 06-JUN-1975 (NMR).

Related records - none

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