Record Details

NHER Number:2785
Type of record:Monument
Name:Beetley Manor, moated medieval manor

Summary

Excavations at this site by Dereham and District Archaeological Society discovered the foundations of medieval buildings within a moated area. Finds include 13th to 14th century pottery, iron nails, animal bones, a brooch, a millstone and a coin of Edward V. Survey of the site has identified that the buildings were surrounded by a moat and an outer bank. The manor was destroyed before 1590, but substantial earthworks still survive.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TF 9857 1899
Map Sheet:TF91NE
Parish:BEETLEY, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK

Full description

Moated site of Beetley Manor: destroyed sometime before 1590.

1955-1956. Excavation.
A small area was investigated by the Dereham and District Archaeological Society.
The moat measured 121 feet by 60 feet [36m by 18m] and was dry. Foundations of several buildings were found. These were floating foundations, about 1m (2-3 feet) thick, faced with flint but no brick (although brick and plaster are marked on the plan in the file).
Finds included 13th- to 14th-century medieval pottery, iron nails, bones of several domestic animals, an ornament or brooch with glass or enamel decoration, a millstone, and a coin. The coin was originally said to be of Edward III, but it has since been re-identified as Edward V.
Pottery identified by A. Rogerson (NAU), 1977. See drawings (S18)-(S20).
Information from (S21)-(S23). See also brief summaries of this work in (S24) and (S25) and press cutting (S2).
The illustrated pottery from this site is in Bishop Bonner's Cottage Museum, Dereham. Other material has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2018.222).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 30 May 2018 and 27 April 2019.

December 1976. Scheduled.
This monument was added to the Schedule of Ancient Monuments.
Information from (S1).
H. Hamilton (NLA), 20 December 2007.

26 October 1978. Field Observation.
The ditches in good condition, dry but growing sedge. The central island is well banked up, with some mounds and depressions (?pond) at the south-west corner. There are definite outer banks.
E. Rose (NAU).

1980. Documentary Research.
A survey of Roman to modern settlement patterns was conducted in Launditch Hundred. Beetley Manor is described as consisting of a large rectangular moat that was likely constructed in two phases. The manor house is believed to have been located in the eastern half of the site, which is situated higher than the western half.
Information from (S15).
H. Hamilton (NLA), 20 December 2007.

1996. Field Observation.
The interior is cut and there are undulations showing on the surface. The ditches are filled with rough grass, and there is a little scrub in the east arm that is providing wild life cover.
H. Paterson (A & E), 28 May 1996.

May 2001. Field Observation.
The ditch is wet and reed filled.
H. Paterson (A & E), 2 July 2001.

October 2002. Scheduling Amendment.
The scheduled area of the monument was revised.
See Correspondence in secondary file.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 20 December 2007.

February 2007. Renewed Section 17 management agreement signed; backdated to March 2006.
See (S4).
D. Robertson (NLA), 16 April 2007.

November 2007. Norfolk NMP
Earthworks of a medieval moat are visible on aerial photographs (S5-S14). This is the site of Beetley manor. It is protected as a Scheduled Monument (S1) and was partly excavated in the 1950s (S2). The moat is trapezoidal in plan with an 8m wide ditch and external dimensions of up to 99m by 85m. A short ditch leads off from the main moat ditch to its north, linking it to the Black Water watercourse, with a second ditch extending to its east. A small sub-rectangular pond is present at the western end of the interior. This has previously been interpreted as a fishpond (S1) and is connected to the moat ditch by a narrow channel. A larger, sub-circular pond or depression is present to its north. The eastern half of the interior of the moat forms a slightly raised platform that is believed to have been occupied by the manor house (S1).
J. Albone (NMP), 15 November 2007

March 2009.
3 year Section 17 agreement signed, backdated to 1 February 2009.
See (S16).
D. Robertson (NLA), 1 April 2009.

March 2014.
Section 17 agreement renewed.
See (S17).
D. Robertson (HES), 5 June 2014.

Monument Types

  • BANK (EARTHWORK) (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • BUILDING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • BUILDING PLATFORM (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FISHPOND (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • MANOR (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • MOAT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • POND (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Associated Finds

  • ANIMAL REMAINS (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • BRICK (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • BROOCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • COIN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • MILLSTONE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • NAIL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • PERSONAL ORNAMENT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Protected Status

  • SHINE
  • Scheduled Monument
  • Section 17 Agreements

Sources and further reading

---Designation: [unknown]. Ancient Monuments Form. SAM Record. DNF421.
---Archive: Norfolk Monuments Management Project File.
---Article in Serial: Robertson, D. & Paterson, H.. 2010. The Norfolk Monuments Management Project 1990-2010. Twenty Years Conserving the County's Rural Historic Environment.. Norfolk Archaeology. XLVI, pp 15-28.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
---*Digital Archive: Norfolk Monuments Management Project Photographic Archive.
---Designation: English Heritage. 1990-2013. English Heritage Scheduling Notification. Notification. DNF421.
---Designation: English Heritage. 1994? -2011?. English Heritage Digital Designation Record. Record. DNF421.
<S1>Designation: Department Of The Environment. 1882-1984?. Department of the Environment Scheduling Notification. Notification. DNF421.
<S2>Newspaper Article: Eastern Evening News. 1956. Schoolboys help to dig up the past. 21 June.
<S3>Map: Finder's Map..
<S4>Unpublished Document: Norfolk County Council. 2007. Section 17 Management Agreement.
<S5>Oblique Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1973. NHER TF 9818A (NLA -/AAC6) 19-JUN-1973.
<S6>Oblique Aerial Photograph: Wade-Martins, P. 1973. NHER TF 9818E-F (SLIDE) JUN-1973.
<S7>Oblique Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1977. NHER TF 9818H (NLA 49/AJR14) 28-JUL-1977.
<S8>Oblique Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1990. NHER TF 9818J (NLA 74/AMU3) 17-APR-1990.
<S9>Oblique Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1980. NHER TF 9818K-L (NLA 98/AQG9-10) 01-AUG-1980.
<S10>Oblique Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1980. NHER TF 9818T-U (NLA 85/AKE1-2) 24-JUN-1980.
<S11>Oblique Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1984. NHER TF 9818V-X (NLA 147/AVY19-21) 26-APR-1984.
<S12>Oblique Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1991. NHER TF 9818AB-AF (NLA 296/GHX1-5) 04-OCT-1991.
<S13>Oblique Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1992. NHER TF 9818AG-AH (NLA 299/UP1-2) 03-FEB-1992.
<S14>Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1946. RAF 106G/UK/1427 3232-3 16-APR-1946 (NHER TF 9819A / TF 9819D).
<S15>Monograph: Wade-Martins, P. 1980. Fieldwork and Excavation on Village Sites in Launditch Hundred, Norfolk. East Anglian Archaeology. No 10. pp 17-18.
<S16>Unpublished Document: Norfolk County Council. 2008-2009. Section 17 Management Agreement.
<S17>Unpublished Document: Norfolk County Council. 2013-2014. Norfolk Monuments Management Project Section 17 agreement.
<S18>Illustration: White, S. Drawing of a medieval pottery jug. Paper. 1:1.
<S19>Illustration: White, S. Drawing of a medieval pottery handle. Paper. 1:1.
<S19>Illustration: White, S. Drawing of a medieval pottery handle. Paper. 1:1.
<S21>Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Medieval. Beetley.
<S22>Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TF 91 NE 7 [4].
<S23>Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
<S24>Serial: 1955. Council for British Archaeology Group 7 Bulletin of Archaeological Discoveries. No 2. p 4.
<S25>Article in Serial: Clarke, R. R. 1956. Other Archaeological Excavations, 1955. Norfolk Research Committee Bulletin. Series 1 No 8 (for 1955) pp 1-2. p 1.

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