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Norfolk Heritage Explorer

Record Details

NHER Number:	4235
Type of record:	Monument
Name:	Roman salt works

Summary

This is the site of a Roman salt works, a field system, buildings, and possible peat turbaries, visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs. Part of the site was excavated in 1993 by the Norfolk Archaeological Unit, and large amounts of Roman pottery and building material has been recovered. Salt working was an important industry on the Fen edge during the Roman period, which relied on peat turbaries to supply fuel.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:	TF 5772 0032
Map Sheet:	TF50SE
Parish:	DENVER, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK
	DOWNHAM WEST, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK
	NORDELPH, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

1931.
Roman sherds and building material found, including bricks, roof tiles, hypocaust tiles and animla bones, oyster shells.

1961.
Roman salt working site located

1964.
Roman hut sites and salterns found whilst deep ploughing.
Roman pottery dating from 2nd to 4th centuries (S5).

1965.
Roman sherds found.

1967.
Roman figurine of Dea Nutrix with 2 infants, made in France.

1974.
Aerial photograph record of linear and rectilinear cropmarks.

1980.
Roman (2nd to 3rd century) pottery and briquetage.

Pre 1987. Found with metal detecting.
Roman coin.

1987. Fenland fieldwalking.
Roman briquetage and sherds.
R. Silvester suggests that this is a possible peat turbary, see (S1).

1993. Excavation.
Trenches excavated as part of the Fenland Management Project.
This work revealed briquetage, Roman fields.
See report (S3) and NHER 4233. See also details and site plans in file. The results of this work are summarised in (S4).
E. Rose (NLA) 29 March 1996.

For full details of wares, flint types etc see (S2).

6 October 1993. NLA air photography.
NAU excavation on Fen causeway/ Roman fields.
Cropmark of linear feature (possible causeway) still visible.
H. Clare (NLA) 1 February 2001.

22 July 1996. NLA air photography.
Cropmarks visible.
H. Clare (NLA), 4 December 2001.

25 July 1996. NLA air photography.
Cropmarks of enclosures and fields associated with the road still visible.
S. Massey (NLA), 22 November 2001.

Monument Types

FIELD SYSTEM (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
FIELD SYSTEM (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
HEARTH (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
HEARTH (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
HYPOCAUST (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
LINEAR FEATURE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
RECTANGULAR ENCLOSURE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
ROUND HOUSE (DOMESTIC) (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
SALT WORKS (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
SITE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Associated Finds

LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
ANIMAL REMAINS (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
BRICK (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
BRIQUETAGE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
BRIQUETAGE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
FIGURINE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
MILLSTONE (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)
QUERN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
ROOF TILE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
GUNFLINT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

---	Aerial Photograph: Unit AP's TF5700 AX,ABA-ABM; TF5600 J-L; TF5800 A-C. St. J RC8-EC91 (TL5799A).
---	*Fieldwork: Fenland Survey. DMW 1. FENS.
---	*Fieldwork: Fenland Survey. DMW 2. FENS.
---	*Fieldwork: Fenland Survey. DMW 3. FENS.
---	*Fieldwork: Fenland Survey. DVR 11. FENS.
---	*Fieldwork: Fenland Survey. DVR 3. FENS.
---	*Fieldwork: Fenland Survey. DVR 4. FENS.
---	*Fieldwork: Fenland Survey. DVR 5. FENS.
---	*Fieldwork: Fenland Survey. DVR 6. FENS.
---	*Fieldwork: Fenland Survey. DVR 7. FENS.
---	*Fieldwork: Fenland Survey. DVR AD. FENS.
---	*Fieldwork: Fenland Survey. DVR AG. FENS.
---	Article in Serial: Bradfer-Lawrence, H. L. 1932. Notes and Queries: A Roman Causeway. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XXIV Pt III pp 313-314.
---	Article in Serial: 1932. [unknown]. Cambridge Antiquarian Society Collection. Vol XXXII, pp 52-3.
---	Monograph: Clarke, R. R. 1960. East Anglia. Ancient People and Places. 14. pp 123, 229.
---	Aerial Photograph: TF 5700/ ABZ- ACL.
---	Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1996. TF 5700ACM - ACN, ACS - ACY, ADB - ADF; TF 5600M, P; TF 5800W -Y.
---	Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1996. TF 5800Z.
---	Serial: Council for British Archaeology Bulletin. No 11.
---	Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TF 50 SE 3.
---	Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---	Monograph: Toynbee, J.M.. 1962?. Art in Roman Britain..
---	Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Roman. Denver [2].
---	Secondary File: Secondary File.
---	Collection: Norfolk Historic Environment Record Staff. 1975-[2000]. HER Record Notes. Norfolk Historic Environment Service.
<S1>	Publication: Silvester, R.. 1987-1988. Fenland Research. No.5 p.53.
<S2>	Archive: Fenland Folders.
<S3>	Monograph: Crowson, A., Lane, T. and Reeve, J. (eds). 2000. Fenland Management Project Excavations 1991-1995. Lincolnshire Archaeology and Heritage Reports Series. No 3. pp 167, 197-202.
<S4>	Article in Serial: Gurney, D. (ed.). 1994. Excavations and Surveys in Norfolk 1993. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XLII Pt I pp 115-123. p 117.
<S5>	Illustration: [Unknown]. [Unknown]. Rubbing of a Roman Samian pottery stamp. Paper. 1:1.