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Record Details

NHER Number:1955
Type of record:Monument
Name:Egmere deserted medieval settlement and St Edmund's Church

Summary

Earthworks of the medieval deserted settlement of Egmere and the ruins of St Edmund's Church can be seen. The church tower still stands. A manor house and associated formal gardens have been located close to the church. Earthworks of small tofts and a system of fishponds have also been identified on either side of a hollow way. The settlement is recorded in the Domesday Book and had less than ten households in 1449. Fieldwalking has recovered Roman, Early Saxon, Middle Saxon, Late Saxon, medieval and post medieval finds. A Bronze Age copper alloy knife was found by a man walking his dog.

Images

  • A Bronze Age copper alloy knife found in Walsingham. © Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service
  • The ruined church at Egmere, a deserted medieval village in the parish of Walsingham. © Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service

Location

Grid Reference:TF 89 37
Map Sheet:TF83NE
Parish:SOUTH CREAKE, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK
WALSINGHAM, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

Egmere deserted village.
Three scheduled areas of earthworks of the village. Earthwork hollow way, tofts, etc. of deserted village. Ruins of St Edmund's Church. Village was recorded in Domesday and had ten householders in 1428.
See (S1).

1970. Found near church.
Late 13th to 14th century green glazed pottery and 'a ring'.

5 October 1977. Visit by E. Rose (NAU).
Low mounds under pasture in area north of road. Ruin Cottages, south of church, were recorded as having a medieval corbel on wall by R. R. Clarke (NCM) and a being derelict by J. Goldsmith in 1970. They had recently been restored in 1977. Contain reused stone (but corbel was not found). 17th century chequered brickwork and 19th century curved bay. Originally one set of houses, central set demolished to make two deteched cottages. Brick-lined deep well.
E. Rose (NAU) October 1977.
See (S2) and (S3).

1978. Fieldwalking.
Context 1: two Grimston Thetford bowl rims, medieval glazed and coarse sherds, two post medieval sherds.
Context 2: one Roman sherd, five Thetford rims (jars) and one bowl rim; much medieval glazed and unglazed wares; miscellaneous sherds perhaps Thetford types.
Context 3: two Roman rims, two Thetford type bowl rims probably grimston Thetford, one Ipswich ware body sherd, many small medieval sherds, few glazed, many rick or tile fragments.
Identified by A. Rogerson (NAU).
B. Cushion (NAU) 1978.

10 March 1981. Casual find. On surface inside church.
One third of Bawsey tile in Eames design V.
A. Rogerson (NAU).

25 March 1981. Visit. St Edmund's Church.
Part demolished around 1550. Remains converted into a barn and stable in 1602 by Sir Nicholas Bacon. Impressive 14th century tower. Tower was added in the 14th century onto an existing nave which was demolished at a late date and rebuilt.
See (S2).
A. Rogerson (NAU) and E. Rose (NAU), 25 March 1981.

Summer 1983. Stray Find.
Found on surface of field known as Egmere Breck when walking dog (Context 5 at [1]):
1 Middle to Late Bronze Age copper alloy knife apparently made from pointed end of broken sword or rapier blade. Just enough of original surface left in patches to show tapering section at both ends is original and not result of corrosion, so object is virtually complete.
See drawing (S4).
Identified by J. J. Wymer (NAU), 8 September 1983 and compiled by E. Rose (NAU) 20 September 1983.
Information from (S6).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 22 February 2018.

Early 1992. Metal detecting.
Roman, Middle Saxon, Late Saxon and medieval pottery.
Medieval roof tile.
Lead pot mend.
Roman coin. See coin list in file.
Roman buckle plate.
Roman Aesica brooch.
Early Saxon mount.
Middle Saxon pin head.
Late Saxon box mount.
Medieval cast vessel rim fragment.
Two medieval belt mounts.
Three medieval buckles.
Two lumps of copper alloy metalworking debris.
See (S5).
A. Rogerson (NLA) 29 September 1992.

1994 to 1996. Metal detecting finds.
Two Roman coins. See coin list in file.
Medieval belt chape.
Medieval bell.
Medieval vessel leg.
Identified by H. Geake (NCM).
A. Rogerson (NLA) 1 June 1999.

See updated (S1) which states manor house stood on the site of Ruin Cottages.

29 July 1996. NLA air photography.
Earthworks of deserted medieval village. Ruined church and house are visible.
H. Clare (NLA) 2 May 2001.

May 2003. Fieldwalking. Collection along two transects during geochemical sampling survey.
Roman, Middle Saxon, Late Saxon, medieval and post medieval sherds.
Medieval roofing tile.
See (S6).
A. Rogerson (NLA) 21 May 2003.

Monument Types

  • CHURCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • DESERTED SETTLEMENT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • HOLLOW WAY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • MANOR (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • MOAT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • TOFT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • GARDEN (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • HOUSE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds

  • METAL WORKING DEBRIS (Undated)
  • RING (Undated)
  • KNIFE (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
  • KNIFE (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
  • BROOCH (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • BUCKLE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • PIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • POT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • PIN (Early Saxon - 411 AD to 650 AD)
  • UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (Early Saxon - 411 AD to 650 AD)
  • POT (Middle Saxon - 651 AD to 850 AD)
  • BOX (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • FURNITURE FITTING (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • POT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • BELL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • BUCKLE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FLOOR TILE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • ROOF TILE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • STRAP FITTING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • VESSEL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • WINDOW (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • DOOR (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • POT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status

  • SHINE
  • Scheduled Monument
  • Listed Building
  • Listed Building

Sources and further reading

---Unpublished Document: Margeson, S. 1980-1996. S. Margeson's personal notes on individual finds. Find Description Notes.
---Correspondence: Williams, D. 1995. Correspondence between D. Williams and S. Margeson regarding Late Saxon stirrup-strap mounts. 10, 22 and 31 August.
---Photograph: TF8937A-.
---Aerial Photograph: TF 8937ABT-ACD; ACS-ACW.
---Article in Monograph: Cushion, B., Fenner, G. and Goldsmith, R. 1982. Some Deserted Village Sites in Norfolk: VII. Egmere. Trowse, Horning, Deserted Medieval Villages. East Anglian Archaeology. No 14 pp 84-90.
---Designation: [unknown]. Ancient Monuments Form. SAM Record. DNF292.
---Monograph: Batcock, N. 1991. The Ruined and Disused Churches of Norfolk. East Anglian Archaeology. No 51. Microfiche 5:G12. No 92; pp 52, 134-136.
---Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A.. 1995. TF8937/ACE- ACK; TF8938/C - J.
---Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1996. TF8937/ACL - ACR.
---Illustration: Various. Various. Architectural plans.
---Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TF 83 NE 4 [3].
---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---Unpublished Document: Paterson, H. (A&E). Norfolk Ancient Monuments Management Project Site Form.
---Photograph: Batcock, N.. CIX 109 and CX 110. St Edmund's Church..
---Photograph: Ashley, H.. G7580A, G7581 and G7775. Egmere..
---Photograph: 1965. Egmere Church..
---Newspaper Article: Dereham and Fakenham Times. 1991. [unknown]. 2 February.
---Monograph: Pevsner, N and Wilson, W. 1999. Norfolk 2: North-West and South. The Buildings of England. 2nd Edition. p 328.
---Illustration: Unattributed. [Unknown]. Plan of St Edmund's Church. Film. 1:100.
---Photograph: 1989. Ruins of St Edmunds Church, Egmere. Print.
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Medieval. Walsingham (Great) [2].
---Article in Serial: Wade-Martins, P. and Wade, K. 1967. Some Deserted Villages in Norfolk: Notes for Visitors. Norfolk Research Committee Bulletin. Series 1 No 17 pp 2-8. p 6.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
---Designation: English Heritage. 1990-2013. English Heritage Scheduling Notification. Notification. DNF292.
---Designation: English Heritage. 1994? -2011?. English Heritage Digital Designation Record. Record. DNF292.
<S1>Designation: English Heritage. Scheduling Report.
<S2>Monograph: Cushion, B. and Davison, A. 2003. Earthworks of Norfolk. East Anglian Archaeology. No 104. p 33.
<S3>Article in Serial: Allison, K. J. 1955. The Lost Villages of Norfolk. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XXXI Pt I pp 116-162. p 147.
<S4>Illustration: Wymer, J. 1983. Drawing of a Middle/Late Bronze Age copper alloy knife. Card. 1:1.
<S5>Map: Finder's Map..
<S6>Collection: Norfolk Historic Environment Record Staff. 1975-[2000]. HER Record Notes. Norfolk Historic Environment Service.

Related records

MNO954Related to: Ruins of Church of St. Edmund Egmere Road GREAT WALSINGHAM (Revoked)

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