Record Details

NHER Number:11351
Type of record:Monument
Name:Possible medieval manor

Summary

Earthworks of enclosures, pits, raised areas, early roadside banks and an early drive can be seen in parkland surrounding St Margaret's Church (NHER 4207). The enclosure banks and ditches probably include a road or park boundary partially enclosing an earlier manorial site. The site is called Manor Close on the 1838 tithe map. If this is the site of an early manor it suggests the church may originally have been a manorial chapel. The causeway of an earlier drive to the Old Rectory (NHER 44328) passes to the east of the church. Metal-detecting between 2010 and 2012 has recovered a variety of Late Saxon, medieval and post medieval metalwork and pottery.

Images

  • Medieval annular brooch from NHER 11351  © Norfolk County Council
  • Late Saxon harness pendant from NHER 11351  © Norfolk County Council
  • Medieval mount from NHER 11351  © Norfolk County Council

Location

Grid Reference:TF 86 12
Map Sheet:TF81SE
Parish:LITTLE DUNHAM, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK

Full description

Earthworks claimed; footings of brick and flint seen in winter when no vegetation.
Information from (S1).

May 1978. Visit.
Field under long grass: undulations, no discernable plan.
E. Rose (NAU), 24 May 1978.

1995. Earthwork Survey.
Site extended to east.
Enclosure banks and ditches including probable road/park boundary partially enclosing an earlier manor site. The site is called Manor Close on (S2). Causeway of earlier drive to former Rectory on (S3).
Found at [1]:
7 medieval pottery sherds (2 glazed Grimston body sherds, 3 medieval unglazed, 1 medieval jar rim and 1 medieval rim fragment).
Found at [2]:
1 Late Saxon pottery sherd (Thetford-type body sherds).
4 medieval pottery sherds (unglazed).
Finds identified by A. Rogerson (NLA). See report (S4) for plan and further details. This site was included in (S7) and the survey is also noted in (S8).
B. Cushion (NLA), February 1995. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 12 March 2015.

Pre 1996.
Fragment of grooved lava quern, probably medieval.
Date and circumstances of discovery not known.
Seen by D. Gurney (NLA).
D. Gurney (NLA), 29 February 1996.

November 1996. Metal-detecting find.
One Roman coin.
See form in file.
D. Gurney (NLA), 12 December 1996.

26 June 1996. NLA air photography.
Earthworks of manorial site showing on aerial photographs taken.
S. Massey (NLA), 24 September 2001.

March-April 2009. Metal-detecting.
Late Saxon gilt mount.
See description in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 12 May 2009.

May-June 2009. Metal-detecting.
2 medieval buckles.
See list in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 16 July 2009.

February-March 2010. Metal-detecting.
Late Saxon harness pendant, (S5).
See description & drawing in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 6 April 2010.

February 2011. Metal-detecting.
Several horseshoes dating from 1250-1920, undated clippers and unidentified iron and copper alloy objects found in a paddock.
See description in file.
W. Arnold (HES), 21 June 2011.

April-May 2011. Metal-detecting.
Medieval mount (S6) and 8 medieval/post-medieval lead weights.
See list in file.
A. Rogerson (HES), 14 July 2011.

June-July 2011. Metal-detecting.
Medieval brooch and bell fragment.
See list in file.
A. Rogerson (HES), 29 July 2011.

July-August 2011. Metal-detecting.
Medieval enamelled roundel from casket.
See description in file.
A. Rogerson (HES), 13 September 2011.

May-June 2012. Metal-detecting.
One Medieval horseshoe.
See details in file.
A. Rogerson (HES), 10 July 2012.

February 2019. Excavation.
Excavation of site of new outdoor swimming pool in grounds of The Old Rectory (NHER 44328).
A single pit was partially exposed in one corner of the excavated area. This produced single fragments of late post-medieval brick and floor tile.
A reasonably deep subsoil was present beneath the topsoil.
No unstratified finds were recovered.
See report (S9) for further details.
The archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2019.213).
P. Watkins (HES), 28 May 2021.

Monument Types

  • BANK (EARTHWORK) (Unknown date)
  • BUILDING (Unknown date)
  • DRAINAGE DITCH (Unknown date)
  • PARK PALE (Unknown date)
  • POND (Unknown date)
  • FINDSPOT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • EARTHWORK (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • ENCLOSURE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
  • MANOR (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • WELL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • CAUSEWAY (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • CLAY PIT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds

  • BOLT (LOCK) (Unknown date)
  • CLIPPERS (Unknown date)
  • QUERN (Undated)
  • UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (Unknown date)
  • UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (Unknown date)
  • COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • HARNESS PENDANT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • MOUNT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • POT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • ANNULAR BROOCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • BELL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • BUCKLE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FURNITURE FITTING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • HORSESHOE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • MOUNT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • QUERN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • WEIGHT (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
  • BRICK (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • FLOOR TILE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • HORSESHOE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • HORSESHOE (Early 20th Century to 21st Century - 1901 AD to 2050 AD)

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

---Aerial Photograph: TF8612 E-F.
---Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1996. TF 8612G - J.
---Photograph: I & RS. Digital finds image.
---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
<S1>Map: NCM. NCM Record Map.
<S2>Map: Utting. J. Lynn Regis. 1838. Little Dunham tithe map.
<S3>Publication: Faden, W. and Barringer, J. C. 1989. Faden's Map of Norfolk in 1797.
<S4>Unpublished Report: Cushion, B. 1995. Little Dunham SMR11351. Earthwork Survey Report.
<S5>Illustration: Gibbons, J.. 2010. Drawing of a Late Saxon copper alloy horse harness pendant. Find Illustration. Film. 2:1.
<S6>Illustration: Gibbons, J.. 2011. Drawing of a medieval cruciform mount. Find Illustration. Film. 2:1.
<S7>Monograph: Cushion, B. and Davison, A. 2003. Earthworks of Norfolk. East Anglian Archaeology. No 104. p 115.
<S8>Article in Serial: Gurney, D. (ed.). 1996. Excavations and Surveys in Norfolk 1995. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XLII Pt III pp 397-412. p 402.
<S9>Unpublished Contractor Report: Monahan, V. and Thompson, P. 2019. The Old Rectory, Sporle Road, Little Dunham, Norfolk. Archaeological Excavation. Archaeological Solutions. 5795.

Related records - none

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