Record Details

NHER Number:4083
Type of record:Monument
Name:Kempstone deserted medieval village and multi-period finds

Summary

The site of a deserted medieval settlement has been identified from surviving earthworks and cropmarks visible on aerial photographs. Middle Saxon, Late Saxon, medieval and post medieval pottery have been collected, as have two medieval spur buckles. Metal-detecting between 2009 and 2016 recovered Roman and medieval coins; a post-medieval jetton and Roman and Late Saxon to post-medieval metal objects. The metal finds include a Roman hair pin; a Late Saxon/medieval staff sceptre terminal; medieval to post-medieval dress accessories; and a medieval lead pot mend.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TF 88 15
Map Sheet:TF81NE
Parish:KEMPSTONE, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK

Full description

In Domesday (S1), Nomina Villarum (S2), 22 taxpayers in 1329, 19 in 1332, 22 in 1377.
Black death relief 1352 to 1354.
Ten householders 1428.
12 acres emparked, 80 acres converted to grass 1507.
Post medieval sherds found by P. Wade-Martins.
Information taken from (S5).
East of 'lane' soilmarks of medieval house seen.

'On the summit of a hill at Kempstone are several large entrenchments and hollow places much too wide to have been used as a ditch'.
(S3), late 18th century, quoted in (S4).
This surely refers to this site as it is on top of a hill, and there is no other fitting in the parish.
The deserted medieval village earthworks were formerly impressive but now are only faint undulations
E. Rose (NAU), 7 April 1978.

June to August 1978. Context 1.
See [1].
A. Rogerson found in cleaned out dyke side, by southwest corner churchyard, twenty five sherds, mostly small.
One probably Ipswich type ware, two Thetford type ware rims, glazed Grimston.
Subsoil chalky boulder clay.
E. Rose (NAU).

Whole site under arable, little if no variation noted in any of the field heights.
H. Paterson (NAU), October 1992.

Before 29 January 2003. Metal detecting.
See [2].
Two medieval spur buckles.
See description in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 27 February 2003.

May- June 2009. Metal detecting
Medieval pot mend,
See list in file
A. Rogerson, (NLA), 16 July 2009.

January-July 2016. Metal-detecting. [3].
12 Roman coins and a hair pin.
Late Saxon/medieval staff or sceptre terminal decoarated with openwork flanking leaves or branches.
1 medieval coin, a buckle and a strap-end.
Medieval/post-medieval buckle.
Post-medieval jetton.
Information from PAS import.
E. McDonald (HES), 3 April 2017. Amended E. McDonald (HES), 3 August 2017.

Monument Types

  • FINDSPOT (Middle Saxon - 651 AD to 850 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Late Saxon to Medieval - 851 AD to 1539 AD)
  • DESERTED SETTLEMENT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • HOUSE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds

  • HAIR PIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 253 AD to 260 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 275 AD to 286 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 275 AD to 286 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 316 AD to 317 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 325 AD to 326 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 326 AD to 326 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 330 AD to 335 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 330 AD to 335 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 330 AD to 335 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 335 AD to 337 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 341 AD to 348 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 341 AD to 348 AD)
  • POT (Middle Saxon - 651 AD to 850 AD)
  • POT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • STAFF (Late Saxon to Medieval - 1000 AD to 1100 AD)
  • BUCKLE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • POT MEND (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • BUCKLE (Medieval - 1200 AD to 1400 AD)
  • COIN (Medieval - 1205 AD to 1216 AD)
  • STRAP FITTING (Medieval - 1300 AD to 1400 AD)
  • BUCKLE (Medieval to 16th Century - 1400 AD to 1550 AD)
  • POT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • JETTON (17th Century - 1612 AD to 1651 AD)

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

---Aerial Photograph: CUCAP. TF 8816AE-AF.
---Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TF 81 NE 7 [2].
---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---Monograph: Wade-Martins, P. 1980. Fieldwork and Excavation on Village Sites in Launditch Hundred, Norfolk. East Anglian Archaeology. No 10. pp 29-32.
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Late Saxon. Kempstone.
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Medieval. Kempstone [3].
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Miscellaneous. Kempstone.
<S1>Publication: Brown, P (ed.). 1984. Domesday Book: Norfolk. Parts 1 and 2.
<S2>Monograph: Nomina Villarum.
<S3>Documentary Source: Martin, T. c. 1700-1799. Collections of Church Notes. Norfolk Records Office. Walter Rye Collection. RYE 17.. MS vol.3.
<S4>Publication: Rye, W. 1916. Roman Camps and Remains in Norfolk. p 38.
<S5>Article in Serial: Wilson, D. M. and Hurst, D. G. 1972. Medieval Britain in 1970. Medieval Archaeology. Vol XV (for 1971) pp 124-179. p 129.

Related records - none

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