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Record Details

NHER Number:1004
Type of record:Monument
Name:Roman vicus and possible early Roman fort

Summary

This Romano-British civilian settlement grew up to the north of the Roman fort of Branodunum (NHER 1001) and is probably part of the same settlement as NHER 1002 and NHER 1003. The site is represented by cropmarks and finds. Excavations here have revealed this was part of the 3rd and 4th century AD planned settlement around the fort. Aerial photographs also show a possible earlier fort with rounded corners predating the Branodunum fort (NHER 1001) on this site.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TF 7813 4418
Map Sheet:TF74SE
Parish:BRANCASTER, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

Field north of Romano-British fort

1939 to 1945.
Roman building and coins located.

1974.
Possible early fort located by aerial photography, Roman material on surface. Area includes Creek Farm, built with reused Roman material. See details and (S1) in file. For schedule see file for NHER 1001.
E. Rose (NLA), 29 January 1991

August 1992. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site within the area of the western vicus.
This work revealed Roman ditches and pits with pottery and bone.
See report (S2) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S8).
The finds recovered have been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 1995.65).
E. Rose (NLA), 12 October 1992. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 24 January 2017.

March 2001. NMP.
A number of linear features can be seen around TF 7813 4418, on the 1945 aerial photographs (S3) and 1976 aerial photographs (S4 and S5). A crescent-shaped 'ditch' cropmark can be seen to the immediate north of Brancaster Roman fort (TF 7816 4415) and it seems likely that these linear features and ditches are contemporary, or possibly earlier.
At TF 7809 4418, a double ditched linear feature, with a rounded corner is visible as a cropmark on 1974 aerial photographs (S6 and S7). It is possible that this may represent an earlier fort at this site, although it is difficult to be sure of an exact date from the aerial photographs.
A. Hunt (NMP), 21 March 2001.

Casual finds, May - June 2007.
Romano-British sherds and tile found during building work.
See list and sketch plan in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 9 July 2007.

August 2012. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey to inform subsequent work by Time Team.
Report awaited.
Although assigned a Norwich Castle Museum accession number (NWHCM : 2012.240), the archive associated with this work was actually deposited with the National Trust.
P. Watkins (HES), 3 July 2017. Amended 27 June 2021.

September 2013. Stray Find. [1].
1 Roman pottery sherd.
Information from PAS import.
P. Watkins (HES), 2 October 2013.

November 2015. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of cable trench excavated to west of residential access road running north from Cross Lane.
No archaeologically significant features or deposits were observed in this narrow trench. It should be noted that the trench was relatively shallow and did not penetrate beneath a subsoil deposit that lay beneath the topsoil along its whole run.
A small number of unstratified finds were recovered including Roman, medieval and post-medieval pottery sherds, Roman tile fragments, a medieval lock hasp, post-medieval brick and tile fragments and several undatable iron nails.
See report (S9) for further details.
The archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2017.328).
P. Watkins (HES), 29 January 2018. Amended 27 May 2019.

Monument Types

  • FINDSPOT (Late Prehistoric - 4000 BC to 42 AD)
  • BUILDING (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • DITCH (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • ENCLOSURE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • FORT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • POST HOLE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • SITE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • TRACKWAY (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • VICUS (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • HOUSE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds

  • ANIMAL REMAINS (Unknown date)
  • NAIL (Unknown date)
  • POT (Late Prehistoric - 4000 BC to 42 AD)
  • ANIMAL REMAINS (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • BRICK (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • MOLLUSCA REMAINS (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • MOLLUSCA REMAINS (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • POT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • POT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • ROOF TILE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • TEGULA? (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • TILE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • POT (Roman - 200 AD to 409 AD)
  • HASP (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • BRICK (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • PANTILE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • POT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • POT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status

  • Scheduled Monument
  • Higher Level Stewardship

Sources and further reading

---Serial: 1974. Council for British Archaeology Group 7 Bulletin of Archaeological Discoveries for 1974. No 21. p 2.
---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---Monograph: Hinchliffe, J. and Sparey Green, C. 1985. Excavations at Brancaster 1974 and 1977. East Anglian Archaeology. No 23.
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Roman. Brancaster [3].
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
---Fiche: Exists.
<S1>Unpublished Document: Edwards, D.A.. 1974. Brancaster, Norfolk, Survey for Boreholes and Marsh Profile..
<S2>Unpublished Contractor Report: Flitcroft, M. and Emery, P. 1992. Evaluation Report. Cross Lane, Brancaster. Norfolk Archaeological Unit. 11.
<S3>Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1975. (NMR) TF 7844/269 NLA 1488/16 21-JUL-1975.
<S4>Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1974. (NMR) TF 7844/129 24-JUN-1974.
<S5>Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1976. (NMR) TF 7844/131 NLA 14170/7 24-JUN-1976.
<S6>Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1974. (NMR) TF 7844/285 NLA 1487/12 20-JUN-1974.
<S7>Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1976. (NMR) TF 7844/292 NLA 1487/22 25-JUN-1976.
<S8>Article in Serial: Gurney, D. (ed.). 1993. Excavations and Surveys in Norfolk 1992. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XLI Pt IV pp 522-532. p 524.
<S9>Unpublished Contractor Report: Hobbs, B. 2015. Branodunum Roman Fort, Brancaster, Norfolk. Archaeological monitoring. NPS Archaeology. 2015/1206.

Related records

1001Part of: Branodunum Roman 'Saxon Shore' fort (Monument)
1002Related to: Brancaster Roman vicus (Monument)
1003Related to: Brancaster Roman vicus (Monument)

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