Record Details

NHER Number:40919
Type of record:Monument
Name:Late Saxon boundary ditch next to Rushford Church

Summary

Work undertaken in 2004 and 2005 revealed a Roman boundary ditch and a possible ditch or hollow way, a Middle Saxon ditch, a Late Saxon boundary ditch and other early settlement features. These features are probably part of the early nucleated settlement in the area around the church. Pottery from the Roman to the post medieval periods, and other medieval and post medieval finds were recovered.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TL 92432 81312
Map Sheet:TL98SW
Parish:BRETTENHAM, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK
RUSHFORD, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK

Full description

November 2004. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site. Two trenches excavated. Contexts 1-26.
Revealed settlement features in the immediate area around Rushford Church, which are probably the remains of the early nucleated settlement, possibly around an earlier church.
The features revealed comprised a Late Saxon ditch, which may have been a field boundary, or another type of boundary, and a series of undated postholes, from which Middle Saxon pottery was recovered.
Medieval pottery and animal bone was also found.
See report (S1) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S2).
S. Spooner (NLA) August 2005.

August 2005. Strip Map and Sample Excavation.
Footprints of three new buildings excavated (two of which had been targeted by the earlier evaluation trenches). Contexts 100-189.
Revealed on field boundary ditch and one possible large ditch or hollow way of Roman date, both of these were probably at some distance from domestic activity.
A ditch of Middle Saxon date was also identified, which was also some sort of land boudnary but in closer proximity to occupation.
Subsequently, later in the Saxon period there is evidence to suggest stock were kept on the site and this northern location was either within a farmyard or the corner of a field.
Medieval rubbish pit which may pre-date Rushford College which was founded in 1342.
isolated cattle burials occurred during the post medieval period, which are likely to have been diseased animals from the dairy farm, within the college grounds to the west.
See report (S3) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S4).
The associated archive has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2017.103).
J. Allen (NLA), 3 April 2007. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 14 July 2015 and 18 May 2019.

Monument Types

  • DITCH (Unknown date)
  • FINDSPOT (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
  • BOUNDARY DITCH (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • DITCH (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • HOLLOW WAY? (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • PIT (Saxon - 410 AD to 1065 AD)
  • DITCH (Middle Saxon - 651 AD to 850 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Middle Saxon - 651 AD to 850 AD)
  • BOUNDARY DITCH (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • MIDDEN (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • ANIMAL BURIAL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • DITCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
  • PIT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds

  • ANIMAL REMAINS (Unknown date)
  • QUERN (Unknown date)
  • BLADE (Early Neolithic - 4000 BC? to 3001 BC?)
  • COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • POT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • POT (Middle Saxon - 651 AD to 850 AD)
  • POT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • QUERN (Late Saxon to Medieval - 851 AD to 1539 AD)
  • BRICK (Medieval - 1066 AD? to 1539 AD?)
  • KEY (LOCKING) (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • NAIL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • PENDANT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • RING (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
  • ROOF TILE (Medieval - 1066 AD? to 1539 AD?)
  • BUCKLE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • POT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • ROOF TILE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • COIN (17th Century to 18th Century - 1694 AD to 1702 AD)

Protected Status

  • SHINE

Sources and further reading

---Secondary File: Secondary File.
<S1>Unpublished Contractor Report: Davies, G. J. 2004. An Archaeological Evaluation at Land Adjacent to Rushford Church, Brettenham, Norfolk. Norfolk Archaeological Unit. 1016.
<S2>Article in Serial: Gurney, D. and Penn, K. 2005. Excavations and Surveys in Norfolk in 2004. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XLIV Pt IV pp 751-763. p 752.
<S3>Unpublished Contractor Report: Green, F. M. L. 2006. An Archaeological Strip, Map and Sample Excavation at Land next to Rushford Church, Brettenham, Norfolk. NAU Archaeology. 1107.
<S4>Article in Serial: Gurney, D. and Penn, K. 2006. Excavations and Surveys in Norfolk in 2005. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XLV Pt I pp 124-136. p 125.

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