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Record Details

NHER Number:1867
Type of record:Monument
Name:Remains of Roman building and multi-period finds

Summary

The remains of what was though to be a substantial Roman building were discovered at this site following deep ploughing in 1972. Subsequent investigations between 1974 and 2011 recovered a large quantity of Roman pottery and a number of flue and roof tiles. A range of other Roman finds have also been found including many coins, a brooch, furniture knob, hairpin and pendant. Other finds recovered during metal-detecting and fieldwalking include Mesolithic, Early Neolithic, Neolithic and undatable prehistoric worked flints; a medieval pottery sherd; an undatable bone stylus; medieval and post-medieval coins; medieval and post-medieval jettons and tokens and Middle Saxon to post-medieval metal objects. The metal finds include a Middle-Late Saxon hooked tag; medieval dress accessories, casket mount, padlock and rings; a ?medieval lead spindle whorl; medieval/post-medieval copper alloy vessel fragment and sword/dagger chape and post-medieval dress accessories, book clasp, thimbles and crotal bell.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TF 96 41
Map Sheet:TF94SE
Parish:STIFFKEY, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

Location [1].

1972. Remains of Roman building found.

1974. Stray Find.
Found on surface of ploughed field at [2] (Context 1):
1 Mesolithic flint axehead. Triangular cross-section, in light yellow-brown flint. See drawing (S1).
Information from (S2). This discovery was reported in (S3).
Previously recorded as NHER 1885.
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 13 July 2014.

Pre August 1977.
Various finds collected from this site by P. L. K. Schwabe; shown to E. Rose (NAU) on 25 August 1977. These included:
1 Mesolithic flint core "made into a tool".
Early Neolithic flint blades (very fine).
Many Neolithic "grotty" worked flints and some fine fabricators.
Much Roman pottery ("a sack" containing coarse wares (some early forms), Samian, ?Oxfordshire ware, colour coated ware, Castor ware [Nene Valley], large storage jar and amphora neck) and flue tile.
Also a bone stylus, animal bones and some "very unusual" horseshoes.
Information from file notes.
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 13 July 2014.

1976. NAU air photography. Concentric ring ditch.
1979. Roman coin found.
1982. Roman sherds and tiles found.
1984. Roman sherds, etcetera found.
1985 to 87. Metal detecting. Roman sherds, coins, pendant and medieval buckle.
1987. Roman sherds found.
See full details in file.
E. Rose (NAU), 12 November 1990.

Before 6 September 2002. Metal detecting.
Roman and medieval metal finds, including some from NHER 11717.
See list in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 14 November 2002.

October 2002. Norfolk NMP.
CROPMARKS NOW RECORDED UNDER NHER 27074 AND NHER 1886.
This site now only refers to the dense scatter of surface finds, the cropmarks are now recorded under the following numbers; the concentric ring ditch is NHER 27074 and the conjoined enclosures are now part of NHER 1886. The two aerial photograph sites to the east and west NHER 11717 and NHER 30410 are both thought to date to the Roman period and are therefore likely to relate to the Roman finds within this area.
S. Massey (NMP), 15 October 2002.

Before 15 July 2004. Metal detecting. [3].
Many Roman coins, medieval and post medieval coins and jettons.
Roman, Middle Saxon/Late Saxon, medieval, post medieval and undateable metal objects.
See lists in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 2 September 2005.

August 2011. Stray Find.
A small quantity of Roman roof tile and flue tile fragments, 5 sherds of Roman pottery, and one sherd of 13th to 14th century pottery were recovered during agricultural activities.
See details in file.
A. Rogerson (HES), 14 January 2012.

October 2013. Field Visit.
The site was visited as part of an Environmental Stewardship HLS consultation. When visited the site was still under cultivation therefore no features were visible in the field, however numerous fragments of Roman ceramic building material and pottery were noticed within the cultivated field. Part of the field was subsequently converted to chalk grassland.
K. Powell (HES), 17 April 2015

Monument Types

  • RECTILINEAR ENCLOSURE (Unknown date)
  • FINDSPOT (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
  • FINDSPOT (Early Neolithic - 4000 BC to 3001 BC)
  • FINDSPOT (Late Prehistoric - 4000 BC to 42 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
  • RING DITCH (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
  • BUILDING (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Middle Saxon to Late Saxon - 651 AD to 1065 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds

  • ANIMAL REMAINS (Undated)
  • ANIMAL REMAINS (Undated)
  • HORSESHOE (Undated)
  • POLISHER (Undated)
  • RING (Unknown date)
  • STYLUS (Undated)
  • TILE (Undated)
  • CORE (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
  • FLAKED AXEHEAD (Mesolithic - 10000 BC to 4001 BC)
  • BLADE (Early Neolithic - 4000 BC to 3001 BC)
  • FABRICATOR (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
  • FLAKE (Late Prehistoric - 4000 BC to 42 AD)
  • LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
  • LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
  • ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • BRICK (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • BROOCH (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • FLUE TILE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • FURNITURE FITTING (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • HAIR PIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • PENDANT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • POT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • POT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • ROOF TILE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • TILE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • TILE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • HOOKED TAG (Middle Saxon to Late Saxon - 651 AD to 1065 AD)
  • BUCKLE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • COIN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • EWER (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
  • FURNITURE FITTING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • JETTON (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • PADLOCK (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • RING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • SCABBARD (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
  • SPINDLE WHORL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • STRAP END (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • STRAP FITTING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • THIMBLE (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
  • VESSEL (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
  • WEIGHT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • BOOK FITTING (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • BUCKLE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • COIN (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • COIN (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • CROTAL (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • JETTON (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • RIVET (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • STRAP FITTING (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • TOKEN (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status

  • SHINE

Sources and further reading

---Aerial Photograph: TF9641E,F,K.
---Serial: 1972. Council for British Archaeology Group 7 Bulletin of Archaeological Discoveries for 1972. No 19. p 11.
---Photograph: NLA. Finds Photograph.
---Photograph: I & RS. Digital finds image.
---Photograph: NCC Find Identification and Recording Service. c. 1975-2000. HES Find Polaroid Collection. HES Find Polaroid Collection. polaroid. black and white.
---Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TF 94 SE 17; TF 94 SE 21.
---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Roman. Stiffkey.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
---Photograph: CUL25-27.
---Collection: Norfolk Historic Environment Record Staff. 1975-[2000]. HER Record Notes. Norfolk Historic Environment Service.
<S1>Illustration: Clough, T. 1974. Drawing of a Mesolithic flint axehead from Stiffkey. Card. 1:1.
<S2>Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Mesolithic.
<S3>Serial: 1974. Council for British Archaeology Group 7 Bulletin of Archaeological Discoveries for 1974. No 21. p 8.

Related records

27074Related to: Late Neolithic or Bronze Age ring ditch or hengiform monument (Monument)
1886Related to: Site of medieval Hale's manor, Warham (Monument)

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