Record Details

NHER Number:3048
Type of record:Monument
Name:Ruins of St Edmund's Chapel, Lyng and multi-period finds

Summary

The fragmentary remains of a medieval priory church, probably 12th century, partially obscured by vegetation. A broad range of Roman, Saxon, medieval and post medieval objects have been found on the site since the 19th century. Other finds include a Mesolithic microlith and a very rare Middle Saxon spur.

Images

  • The ruins of St Edmund's Chapel, Lyng. These fragmentary remains of a probably 15th century priory church.  © Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service
  • The ruins of St Edmund's Chapel, Lyng. These fragmentary remains of a probably 15th century priory church.  © Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service

Location

Grid Reference:Not displayed
Map Sheet:TG01NE
Parish:LYNG, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK

Full description

This is the site of a Benedictine priory, founded at an unknown date. While the priory was transferred to Thetford in 1176, the nuns remained on site in 1250, perhaps as a grange (S1). The Prioress of St George's Thetford held a fair at this location in 1287 (S2). By 1730 (S3), the ruins of a chapel are described, called St Edmund's Chapel, and the nunnery could not be found. The name St Edmund's Chapel is continued on the Ordnance Survey map (S4).
Information from file.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 21 January 2008.

19th century. Inhumations found.
Several human skeletons were uncovered between the chapel and the King's Wood to the southeast (now marked on Ordnance Survey maps as The Grove). A chalice was also reportedly found, but has since been lost.
Information from (S2).
E. Rose (NLA), 7 March 1995.

1841. Casual Find.
A censer found near the site of the chapel. It is now in the Fitch collection in the St Peter Hungate Museum. It is possible that this item had been confused with the 'chalice' reported to have been found with the burials.
Information from (S2). Also see (S7).
E. Rose (NLA), 7 March 1995.

1969. Casual Find.
A base sherd of Middle Saxon/Late Saxon pottery was found. It has been described as Thetford Ware.
E. Rose (NLA), 7 March 1995.

May 1977. Fieldwalking.
A late medieval chamfered brick was removed from the north door as a sample. This is the arch with brick enforcement noted by Pevsner (S5) and north doorway described by (S3).
The fieldwalking revealed a spread of medieval pottery sherds across the field, but concentrated along the north edge of the slope to the river. Two sherds of Roman pottery, Middle Saxon pottery, and an undated copper alloy object, possibly a harness fitting, were also found.
See file for details.
E. Rose (NLA), 7 March 1995.

April 1979. Fieldwalking.
Fieldwalking in the northeast portion of the field after ploughing yielded 3 flint flakes, 4 Ipswich ware sherds, 13 medieval sherds, 5 post medieval sherds, a fragment of a lava quern, one Romano-British box tile, one imbrex, and an undated iron knife-like object.
See details and x-rays of knife in file.
E. Rose (NLA), 7 March 1995.

1989. Metal detecting.
A Late Saxon pin and Middle Saxon coin were found in the northeast of the site.
See file for details.
E. Rose (NLA), 7 March 1995.

January 1990. Metal detecting.
A Middle Saxon pin was found south of the chapel.
See file for details.
E. Rose (NLA), 7 March 1995.

February 1990. Metal Detecting.
A Late Saxon mount was found in the eastern half of the field.
See file for details.
E. Rose (NLA), 7 March 1995.

1994. Metal detecting.
A Middle Saxon pin and a medieval key were found.
See file for details.
E. Rose (NLA), 7 March 1995.

November 1999-February 2000. Metal detecting. [4].
1 Early Mesolithic microlith (obliquely-blunted point). See sketch (S8).
3 Roman coins.
1 Middle Saxon Ipswich ware pottery sherd.
1 Middle Late Saxon convex-sided strap end and 1 complete prick spur. The complete prick spur is similar to one in (S6) and is a find of exceptional importance. See drawing (S9).
1 ?medieval ?mount fragment.
1 medieval/post-medieval copper alloy leg from cooking vessel amd 1 clapper bell.
1 post-medieval coin and 1 dress fastener.
Flint object identified by P. Robins (NCM), coins by J. Davies (NCM), Saxon prick spur by G. Thomas and other objects by H. Geake (NCM). See descriptions in file.
K. Hinds (NLA), 8 March 2000. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 31 May 2018.

March-April 2000. Metal detecting. [5].
Two metal items were recovered. These were identified as:
1. A medieval belt or harness fitting, sexfoil with one opposing pair of foils straightened off at their outside edges. Two separate long rivets. Length 45mm.
2. A post medieval ball-headed pin. Hollow gilded ?silver head with filigree spiral decoration; short collar with filigree bands above a silver 'sleeve', very narrow shank of uncertain metal passes through 'sleeve' and into collar.
RETAINED. Potential Treasure.
(S1).
Identified by H. M. Geake (NCM)
K. Hinds (NLA), 8 June 2000.

October 2000. Metal detecting. [6].
A medieval copper alloy key was found. The shank and bow are cast in a 'kite-shape' with an ovoid opening. It has a simple bit with an L-shaped section.
Identified by S.J. Ashley (NLA), November 2000.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 9 December 2000.

October 2001. Metal detecting.
Two Roman coins, five medieval coins (including a Stephen), a Middle Saxon pin, a medieval pottery sherd, and other medieval and undatable metal finds were recovered.
See lists in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 22 January 2001.

November 2001. Metal detecting.
A medieval coin and two flint flakes were recovered.
See lists in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 22 January 2001.

November 2002. Metal detecting.
Two medieval coins, two post medieval jettons, an early post medieval hooked tag, and an early post medieval button were recovered.
See lists in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 7 January 2003.

Grid Reference corrected from original [7].
M. Horlock (NLA), 25 March 2003.

December 2007. Norfolk NMP.
The soilmarks of a series of possible structural components associated with this site may be visible on aerial photographs. However the archaeological nature of these soilmarks is uncertain and it is possible that the marks visible are derived from underlying and non-archaeological natural features. See NHER 50735 for details.
S. Massey (NMP), 05 December 2007.

March 2014. Metal-detecting. [8].
Middle Saxon pin.
1 medieval coin.
Post-medieval spoon handle.
Information from PAS import.
A. Beckham (HES), 1 April 2014.

March 2014. Metal-detecting. [9].
1 Roman coin.
1 Middle Saxon coin.
Information from PAS import.
A. Beckham (HES), 5 October 2014.

Monument Types

  • STRUCTURE (Unknown date)
  • FINDSPOT (Prehistoric - 1000000 BC to 42 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Prehistoric - 1000000 BC to 42 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
  • FINDSPOT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Middle Saxon to 19th Century - 651 AD to 1900 AD)
  • CHAPEL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • GRANGE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • INHUMATION (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • MARKET (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • NUNNERY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • PRIORY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FAIR (Medieval to 16th Century - 1287 AD to 1539 AD)

Associated Finds

  • HARNESS FITTING (Unknown date)
  • KNIFE (Unknown date)
  • FLAKE (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
  • MICROLITH (Early Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 7001 BC)
  • COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • FLUE TILE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • POT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • ROOF TILE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 275 AD to 296 AD)
  • COIN (Middle Saxon - 651 AD to 850 AD)
  • PIN (Middle Saxon - 651 AD to 850 AD)
  • POT (Middle Saxon - 651 AD to 850 AD)
  • PRICK SPUR (Middle Saxon to Late Saxon - 651 AD to 1065 AD)
  • STRAP FITTING (Middle Saxon - 651 AD to 850 AD)
  • VESSEL (Middle Saxon - 651 AD to 850 AD)
  • COIN (Middle Saxon - 700 AD to 715 AD)
  • PIN (Middle Saxon - 720 AD to 850 AD)
  • DRESS COMPONENT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • FURNITURE FITTING (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • PIN (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • POT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • STRAP FITTING (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • BELL (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
  • BOOK FITTING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • BRICK (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • CENSER (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • CHALICE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • COIN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • HARNESS FITTING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • KEY (LOCKING) (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • QUERN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • STRAP FITTING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • STUD (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • VESSEL (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
  • COIN (Medieval - 1280 AD to 1500 AD)
  • BUTTON (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • COIN (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • DRESS FASTENER (DRESS) (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • HOOKED TAG (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • JETTON (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • PIN (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • POT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • SPOON (17th Century - 1650 AD to 1700 AD)

Protected Status

  • Listed Building
  • SHINE

Sources and further reading

---Photograph: NCC Find Identification and Recording Service. c. 1975-2000. HES Find Polaroid Collection. HES Find Polaroid Collection. polaroid. black and white.
---Unpublished Document: Department for Culture, Media and Sport. 2001. Treasure Annual Report 2000. pp 41-42; No 57.
---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---Monograph: Pevsner, N and Wilson, W. 1999. Norfolk 2: North-West and South. The Buildings of England. 2nd Edition. p 532.
---Photograph: 1999. KSS 24-27, Late Saxon spur.
---Photograph: 1999. KSS 28, Middle Saxon pin head..
---Photograph: 1999. KSS 29, Middle/Late Saxon strap end..
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Late Saxon. Lyng.
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Medieval. Lyng.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
---Collection: Norfolk Historic Environment Record Staff. 1975-[2000]. HER Record Notes. Norfolk Historic Environment Service.
---Photograph: FHN 11-12; GYH 11-14.
<S1>Publication: Knowles, D. and Hadcock, R. N. 1971. Medieval Religious Houses of England and Wales. pp 254-255, 260, 266-267.
<S2>Serial: Bryant, T. H. 1908. Hundred of Eynesford.
<S3>Documentary Source: Martin, T. c. 1700-1799. Collections of Church Notes. Norfolk Records Office. 1772.
<S4>Map: Ordnance Survey. 1824-1836. Ordnance Survey First Edition 1 inch..
<S5>Monograph: Pevsner, N. 1962. North-West and South Norfolk. The Buildings of England. 1st Edition. p 252.
<S6>Publication: Hinton, D. A. 1974. Catalogue of the Anglo-Saxon Ornamental Metalwork 700-1100 in the Department of Antiquities, Ashmolean Museum. pp 55-56.
<S7>Article in Serial: Tonnochy, A. B. 1937. The Censer in the Middle Ages. Journal of the British Archaeological Association, 3rd series, II.. Third Series Vol II pp 47-62. pp 47-62 and 68; Plate VI.
<S8>Illustration: Robins, P. 2000. Drawing of an Early Mesolithic flint microlith from Lyng. Paper. 1:1.
<S9>Illustration: Hoyle, M.. 2000. Drawing of a Middle Saxon copper alloy spur.. Card. 2:1.

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