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Record Details

NHER Number:1057
Type of record:Monument
Name:Roudham deserted medieval settlement

Summary

The best and most extensive example of a deserted medieval settlement in Norfolk, these are the remaining mounds and ditches of a once very large medieval village. The site is clearly visible as earthworks on many aerial photographs of the area, some of which have highlighted areas of possible tofts and crofts that were not identified during the earthwork survey of 1982.
To the south stand the roofless ruins of its church, St Andrew's (NHER 58774), a 14th and 15th century building with a knapped flint south porch tower. Almost all the walls stand to their original height, though in a precarious and ivy-covered state. Numerous finds have been recovered from the area (NHER 58779 to NHER 58788), including prehistoric flint tools, Roman, Saxon, medieval and post medieval pottery fragments and a very well-preserved Iron Age pin. A medieval pottery bowl rim was recovered as a stray find in 2011.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TL 957 874
Map Sheet:TL98NE
Parish:ROUDHAM, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK

Full description

THE BUILDINGS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED IN THIS RECORD ARE NOW RECORDED IN THE FOLLOWING RECORDS:
NHER 58774: Remains of St Andrew's Church
NHER 58775: Roudham Hall
NHER 58776: West Lodge to Roudham Hall
NHER 58777: Barn 50 yards southeast of Roudham Hall
NHER 28778: Granary/Cart Shed 50 yards northeast of Roudham Hall

THE MOATED SITES PREVIOUSLY RECORDED IN THIS RECORD ARE NOW RECORDED IN THE FOLLOWING RECORDS:
NHER 58772 (Site 2)
NHER 58773 (Site 3)

THE SURFACE FINDS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED IN THIS RECORD ARE NOW RECORDED IN THE FOLLOWING RECORDS:
NHER 58779 (Site 1)
NHER 58780 (Site 4)
NHER 58781 (Site 5)
NHER 58782 (Site 6)
NHER 58783 (Site 7a)
NHER 58784 (Site 7b)
NHER 58785 (Site 8)
NHER 58786 (Hall Garden, previously known as Context 3)

25 April 1994. NLA air photography.
Air photography over site of deserted medieval village and hall (NHER 58775).
Multiple earthworks visible including additional earthworks to those recorded on Ordnance Survey 1:10,000 map.
M. Brennand (NLA), 31 January 2001.

13 May 1994. NLA air photography.
Series of photographs taken covering the deserted medieval village earthworks, moat (NHER 58772), ruined church (NHER 58774) and fishpond. The hall (NHER 58775) and lodge (NHER 58776) are also included.
S. Massey (NLA), 6 February 2001.

August 2012. Norfolk NMP.
The site described above is clearly visible as earthworks on many aerial photographs of the area (S8-S21), some of which have highlighted areas of possible tofts and crofts that were not identified during the earthwork survey.
For example an area of possible house platforms is visible centred on TL 9541 8735. To the northwest of this, an area of possible strip fields or doles shows up well on the aerial photographs, centred on TL 9532 8742.
Possible field boundaries, enclosing larger areas, are visible further to the northwest, centred on TL 9529 8753, although they may not form part of the village ‘proper’. These possible field boundaries extend as far as TL 9562 8772 to the north-east of the recorded extent of the village (see S8).
Likewise, further cropmarks and earthworks to the southwest of the known area of the deserted medieval village have been recorded separately (NHER 57421), as they are additional to the area which had been formerly surveyed.
E. Bales (NMP), 28 August 2012.

Monument Types

  • BUILDING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • CROFT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • DESERTED SETTLEMENT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • ENCLOSURE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FIELD BOUNDARY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FISHPOND (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • MOAT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • TOFT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Associated Finds - none

Protected Status

  • Scheduled Monument

Sources and further reading

---Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF 3G/TUD/UK 59 (NHER TL 9587G) 05-FEB-1946 CPE.UK 1801; TL9587 AH-AU; TL9687 A-AG,AV-AZ.
---Article in Monograph: Cushion, B., Fenner, G. and Davison, A. 1982. Some Deserted Village Sites in Norfolk: III. Roudham. Trowse, Horning, Deserted Medieval Villages,Kings Lynn. East Anglian Archaeology No 14. pp 48-59. p 48 ff.
---Designation: [unknown]. Ancient Monuments Form. SAM Record. DNF388.
---Aerial Photograph: TL 9502/ ABA, ABB, ABL, ABD, ABE, ABF, ABG, ABH, ABJ, ABK.
---Aerial Photograph: TL 95 87 ABL-ABT.
---Monograph: Cushion, B. and Davison, A. 2003. Earthworks of Norfolk. East Anglian Archaeology. No 104. p 62; Fig 41; Pl XII.
---Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TL 98 NE 2 [5].
---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---Archive: Norfolk Monuments Management Project File.
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Medieval. Roudham [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 7.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
---Collection: Norfolk Historic Environment Record Staff. 1975-[2000]. HER Record Notes. Norfolk Historic Environment Service.
<S8>Vertical Aerial Photograph: NMR. 1920s. NMR AP TL9587/1 xx-xx-192? (NHER TL9587 Q).
<S9>Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1946. RAF 3G/TUD/UK/59 5131-2 05-FEB-1946 (NMR).
<S10>Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1946. RAF 3G/TUD/UK/59 5251-2 05-FEB-1946 (NMR).
<S11>Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1946. RAF 106G/UK/1707 3166-8 29-AUG-1946 (NMR).
<S12>Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1946. RAF CPE/UK/1801 3093-4 25-OCT-1946 (NMR).
<S13>Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1947. RAF CPE/UK/1918 3102-3 09-JAN-1947 (NMR).
<S14>Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1955. RAF 82/1204 89-90 02-JUN-1955 (NMR).
<S15>Vertical Aerial Photograph: CUCAP. 1970. CUCAP (RC8Q 008-9) 19-MARCH-1970 (CUCAP).
<S16>Vertical Aerial Photograph: Hunting Surveys Ltd. 1972. TL9587U-W (HSL/UK/72/920382-4) 17-JUL-1972 (NMR).
<S17>Oblique Aerial Photograph: CUCAP. 1983. TL9587L-P (CUCAP CHZ012-16) 16-NOV-1983.
<S18>Vertical Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1989. OS/89407 145-6 05-SEPT-1989 (NMR).
<S19>Vertical Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1993. OS/93313 75 11-MAY-1993 (NMR).
<S20>Vertical Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1993. OS/93334 026-7 07-JUN-1993 (NMR).
<S21>Vertical Aerial Photograph: Google Earth. ? - present. Google Earth Orthophotographs. https://earth.google.com/web. 03-AUG-2007 Accessed 27-SEP-2012.

Related records

58773Parent of: Medieval moated site (Monument)
58772Parent of: Medieval moated site, Roudham deserted medieval settlement (Monument)

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