Record Details

NHER Number:30806
Type of record:Monument
Name:Medieval churchyard and human remains at Latimer House/Old Reading Room

Summary

Medieval human remains were discovered at this site in 1994. An evaluation carried out by NAU in 1994 revealed more human remains and a medieval flint wall, as well as medieval and post medieval finds. The site is probably the churchyard of the medieval church of All Saints, NHER 14479.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TF 7988 2290
Map Sheet:TF72SE
Parish:GREAT MASSINGHAM, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

About 1940 and about 1960.
Human remains reported.

August 16 to 17 1994.
Human skeletons found below a yard surface dating to about 1880.
Possible contender for the site of All Saints' Church (NHER 14479).
See (S1).
E. Rose (NLA), 19 August 1994.

April 2002. Excavation and Trial Trench.
Contexts 1-52.
Six articulated juvenile skeletons along with a small quantity of adult bone were excavated south of St Mary's church. The burials were probably associated with All Saints, a vanished medieval church.
A late medieval wall was discovered, interpreted as possibly from a barn on the glebe land.
A single evaluation trench excavated to the north recorded a sand clay deposit that was probably natural but may have been redeposited. This was overlain by at least 1m of 19th- and 20th-century material, interpreted as attempts to reclaim or level up wet ground.
See published article (S2) and report (S3) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S4).
J. Allen (NLA), 21 August 2002. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 8 April 2015.

Monument Types

  • CHURCHYARD (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • INHUMATION (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • WALL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Associated Finds

  • COIN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • HUMAN REMAINS (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • POT (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
  • BRICK (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • CLAY PIPE (SMOKING) (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • TILE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

---Newspaper Article: Lynn News. 1994. [Articles on the finding of human skeletons in Great Massingham].
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
---Fiche: Exists.
---Photograph: EAC 20-22.
<S1>Unpublished Document: Rose, E.. 1994. Report on discovery of Human Remains, for King's Lynn Police. 19 August.
<S2>Article in Serial: Adams, D. et al. 2003. A Probable Medieval Burial Ground at Great Massingham, 2002. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XLIV Pt II pp 326-329.
<S3>Unpublished Contractor Report: Adams, D. 2002. Report on an Archaeological Excavation and Evaluation at The Old Reading Room, Great Massingham, Norfolk. Norfolk Archaeological Unit. 762.
<S4>Article in Serial: Gurney, D. and Penn, K. (eds). 2003. Excavations and Surveys in Norfolk, 2002. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XLIV Pt II pp 368-384. p 372.

Related records - none

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