Record Details

NHER Number:777
Type of record:Monument
Name:Castle Mall Development

Summary

Archaeological excavation, largely between 1989 and 1991, prior to and during the construction of the Castle Mall shopping centre in Norwich, was one of the largest of its kind in northern Europe. The work was designed to investigate not only the south bailey of Norwich Castle but also pre-Conquest settlement and, for the post-Conquest period, areas of the surrounding medieval city. Evidence was uncovered for Late Saxon houses and graveyards; the developing fortifications of the royal castle established before 1100; gradual encroachment by the townspeople into the castle precinct after the 13th century; documentation relating to the development of medieval properties; crafts and industries associated with these plots — notably bell-founding; a late medieval assemblage of great significance from the barbican well — ironwork, leather waste, bird and animal bone; and huge finds assemblages resulting from the steady infilling of castle ditches with domestic and commercial refuse.

Images

  • A medieval gaming board found during the development of the Castle Mall, Norwich.  © Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service. NWHCM L2001.1.7450:A
  • A medieval long cross penny, possibly of Edward I, found during excavations on the site of Castle Mall, Norwich.  © Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service. NWHCM L2001.1.6929:A

Location

Grid Reference:TG 2320 0838
Map Sheet:TG20NW
Parish:NORWICH, NORWICH, NORFOLK

Full description

1989-90.
Excavations established that castle was constructed over the Late Saxon settlement.
See reports (S1), (S2) and (S3).

1991.
Excavations revealed barbican and proto-barbican ditches, a 14th century well, and the barbican gatehouse demolished in 18th century. Castle bridge revealed to have 12th century origins.
Report to come.
E. Rose (NAU) 22 February 1993.

Soil from Castle Mall dumped at NHER 32108.
D. Gurney (NLA), 21 January 2002.

Excavation summarised in (S4). Full excavation report forthcoming (S5).
B. S. Ayers (NMAS), 25 May 2007

Castle Bridge excavation published in (S7).

See press cuttings (S6) to (S17) along with article from annual report (S18) in file.
T. Sunley (NLA) 8 November 2007. Amended by A. Beckham (HES), 19 May 2021.

The Norwich Castle Mall excavations are accessioned as a whole by Norwich Castle Museum under NWHCM : 2011.26.
A. Beckham (HES), 19 May 2021.

Monument Types

  • CHURCH (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • CHURCHYARD (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • GRUBENHAUS (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • KILN (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • PIT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • POST HOLE (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • BAILEY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • BARBICAN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • BELL PIT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • BRIDGE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • CASTLE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • CHURCHYARD (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • GATEHOUSE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • WELL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Associated Finds

  • COIN (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • POT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

---Unpublished Document: Middleton, G. 1991. Spadework. A newsletterfor schoolsfrom the Education Liason Officer for Archaeology. Newsletter. No 9.
---Unpublished Document: [Unknown]. 1990. Castle Mall News. Newsletter. No 1. pp 2 and 4.
---Unpublished Document: Norfolk Archaeological Unit. 1989. Norwich Archaeology. Norfolk Archaeology Unit. Castle Mall Archaeological Excavation. Bulletin No. 1.1. 1st August 1989.. Newsletter. No 1.1.
---Unpublished Document: Norfolk Archaeological Unit. 1990. Norwich Archaeology. Norfolk Archaeology Unit. Bulletin No. 5.0. 22nd January 1990. Newsletter. No 5.0.
---Unpublished Document: Norfolk Archaeological Unit. [Unknown]. Norwich Archaeology. Castle Mall. Excavation update from the Norfolk Archaeology Unit. No. 6. Newsletter. No 6.
---Unpublished Document: Norfolk Archaeological Unit. [Unknown]. Norwich Archaeology. Castle Mall. Excavation update from the Norfolk Archaeology Unit. No. 7. Newsletter. No 7.
---Unpublished Document: Norfolk Archaeological Unit. [Unknown]. Norwich Archaeology. Castle Mall. Excavation update from the Norfolk Archaeology Unit. No. 8. Newsletter. No 8.
---Unpublished Document: Norfolk Archaeological Unit. 1992. Castle Mall Project Seminar. No 1.
---Photograph: Eastern Counties Newspapers Limited. 1989. Photocopy of a photograph show the excavation of a burial during the Castle Mall Project. Photocopy.
---Monograph: Batcock, N. 1991. The Ruined and Disused Churches of Norfolk. East Anglian Archaeology. No 51. Microfiche 5:G12. No N50; p 175.
---Monograph: Ashley, S. 2002. Medieval Armorial Horse Furniture in Norfolk. East Anglian Archaeology. No 101.
---Monograph: Pevsner, N. and Wilson, B. 1997. Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East. The Buildings of England. 2nd Edition. pp 311-312; Pl 129, Pl 130.
---Article in Serial: Gurney, D. (ed.). 1992. Excavations and Surveys in Norfolk in 1991. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XLI Pt III pp 371-379. p 375.
---Unpublished Contractor Report: Shelley, A. 1991. Report of a Watching Brief at Shirehall Plain, Norwich, 1991. Norfolk Archaeological Unit. 63.
---Unpublished Document: Shepherd, E. and Lentowicz, I. 1998. Norwich: cemeteries, radiocarbon dates & the ceramic sequence. Project Design.
---Slide: Various. 1988-1992. Slides 1-4512 Castle Mall, Norwich.
---Photograph: Laws-Chapman. K. C. 1987-1988. EFA-EFW.
---Article in Serial: Gurney, D (ed.). 1990. Excavations and Surveys in Norfolk 1989. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XLI Pt I pp 107-112. p 110.
---Article in Serial: Gurney, D. (ed.). 1991. Excavations and Surveys in Norfolk 1990. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XLI Pt II pp 240-246. p 243.
---Unpublished Contractor Report: Reeve, J. 1991. Summary Report of Excavations at Castle Mall, Norwich, June 1989-June 1991. Norfolk Archaeological Unit. 68.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
---Illustration: Ashley, S. [unknown]. Drawing of a post-medieval ceramic bird whistle (SF7514). Paper. 1:1.
---Unpublished Report: Anderson, S. 1995. Human Skeletal Remains from the Castle Mound, Norwich. Specialist Report.
---Photograph: FHM1-7.
<S1>Unpublished Contractor Report: Ayers, B. 1988. Norwich Castle Mall Excavation - The Trial Work 1988. Norfolk Archaeological Unit. 58.
<S2>Unpublished Contractor Report: Reeve, J. 1989. Castle Mall Archaeological Project. Interim Report December 1989. Norfolk Archaeological Unit.
<S3>Unpublished Contractor Report: Linford, N. 1991. Archaeomagnetic Dating: Norwich Castle Mall, Norfolk. Ancient Monuments Laboratory. 60/91.
<S4>Monograph: Ayers, B. S., Bown, J. and Reeve, J. 1992. Digging Ditches: Archaeology and Development in Norwich.
<S5>Monograph: Shepherd Popescu, E.. 2009. Norwich Castle: Excavations and Historical Survey 1987–98. East Anglian Archaeology.
<S6>Newspaper Article: [Unknown]. 1989. Castle Mall dig to get. 14 April.
<S7>Newspaper Article: Eastern Evening News. 1989. Historic Gatehouse Found. 27 April.
<S8>Newspaper Article: [Unknown]. 1989. Two untitled newspaper articles relating to excavations for the Norwich Castle Mall. 22 July.
<S9>Newspaper Article: [Unknown]. 1989. Historians' joy at Mall discovery. 26 August.
<S10>Newspaper Article: [Unknown]. 1989. Castle defence ditch uncovered. 7 September.
<S11>Newspaper Article: Eastern Evening News. 1989. City dig soil set for park. 20 September.
<S12>Newspaper Article: Eastern Evening News. 1989. Dig this for a city's past. Secrets beneath former car park. 20 October.
<S13>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1989. Victorians vandalised Castle gatehouse. 28 November.
<S14>Newspaper Article: [Unknown]. 1989. Firemen turn hose on mystery Castle pit. 13 December.
<S15>Newspaper Article: Eastern Evening News. 1990. Dig this for a sample of Saxon Norwich. 3 March.
<S16>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1991. Large chunk of history. 3 May.
<S17>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1991. Today in nutshell for future digs. 13 August.
<S18>Unpublished Document: Norfolk County Council. 1991. Annual report.
<S19>Article in Serial: Shelley, A.. 1996. Norwich Castle Bridge. Medieval Archaeology. LX.
<S20>Unpublished Contractor Report: Anderson, S. 1996. Human Skeletal Remains from Timberhill, Castle Mall, Norfolk (excavated 1989-1991). Ancient Monuments Laboratory. 73/96.
<S21>Unpublished Contractor Report: Anderson, S. 1996. The Human Skeletal Remains from Farmer's Avenue, Castle Mall, Norfolk (excavated 1989-1991). Ancient Monuments Laboratory. 56/96.

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