Record Details

NHER Number:24174
Type of record:Monument
Name:Roman settlement and possible Roman pottery kiln

Summary

In 1987, fieldwalking as part of the Fenland Survey observed a concentration of Roman finds indicative of a settlement. Roman pottery sherds, tile fragments and animal bone were recovered. Later fieldwalking by Methwold School and metal-detecting between 1990 and 2012 recovered a large number of Roman finds such as coins, including a coin hoard and building material, pottery sherds and two pieces of fire bar suggesting a Roman pottery kiln on the site. Other finds recovered include prehistoric worked flint; a Hertfordshire pudding stone quern fragment; a medieval lace tag and pot mend; a post-medieval coin, copper alloy vessel fragments, a buckle, stud and a gunflint and undated lead waste.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:Not displayed
Map Sheet:TL79NW
Parish:METHWOLD, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

17 November 1987. Fenland fieldwalking.
Weathered plough soil.
Context 1 general scatter. MTW FE.
Odd fragments of Roman pottery over field, mainly close to context 2 to 3. Also a few flints. Note the irregular nature of the field, flints came from both sides of an east to west dyke.

One flint is a gunflint.
F. Healy (NAU).

Context 2 at 7324 9600. MTW 148.
Concentration of moderate Roman pottery, sparse tile, sparse bone, in a grey soil, sandy loam soil. 40m east to west x
32m north to south at 4.9m OD.

Context 3 centred 7320 9580. MTW 144 east.
Continuation of NHER 4780 context 4 on east side of unploughed strip - here the activity seems to be on the side of the ridge which has dark grey reminiscent of peat but likely to be due to charcoal, rubbish etc. Tile pot and bone present and size of some sherds indicative of archaeological levels only recently disturbed. Also one quern fragment of lava. On top of ridge to north virtually nothing. Spread of material does not go far into flattish hollow (old valley course)
at bottom of slope. About 46m northwest to southeast x 50m northeast to southwest at 4.9-5.5m OD.
R. Silvester (NAU), 17 November 1987.

FOR FULL DETAILS OF WARES, FLINT TYPES ETC SEE (S1).

Autumn 1988. Context 3 as above.
Area 25m east to west x 50m north to south gridded and fieldwalked by [1] and pupils of Methwold School. Plot in file. Light scatter Roman sherds, Roman tile (both roof and floor tiles) and animal bone. Area slopes north to south, north not quite reaching top of ridge. Also quern fragments, iron nails and oyster shell found. Tile here less dense than on site of Roman building NHER 4780 to west.
Finds at Methwold School, list to come from [1].
D. Gurney (NLA), 2 December 1988.

1990 to 1994. Fieldwalking.
Large collection of Roman pottery, tile, etc.
Two firebar fragments.
See list in file.
D. Gurney (NLA), 26 August 1994.

1995. Metal-detecting finds.
Fragment of Roman bronze steelyard.
Barbarous radiate AD 270 to 284 17mm.
Constans Follis (2v reverse), mint Trier AD 347 to 248.
Magnentius AE2 Felicitas Republice, Trier AD 350 to 353.
Identified by L. Brewster (KLM) and J. Davies (NCM).
L. Brewster (KLM), 6 June 1995.

August 1994 to June 1995. Fieldwalking and detecting.
Roman roof tiles, much late Roman pottery.
One glazed Grimston, glass and ironwork.
See list in file.
D. Gurney (NLA), 16 June 1995.

1995. Fieldwalking finds. Context 3.
Mortarium rim and flange probably Nene Valley.
3rd/4th century colour-coated ware handle. Nene Valley.
Oxidised jar rim.
Thirteen grey/reduced sherds (eight jar rims, one base, three body including one micaceous and one flange with stab decoration).
One sagging base medieval sherd.
One imbrex
Fragments of tegulae.
Identified by D. Gurney (NLA), May 1995.
W. Milligan (NCM), 21 June 1995.

August 1996. Further finds by [2] examined.
See list in file.
D. Gurney (NLA), 21 August 1996.

Before 21 July 2010. Metal-detecting and Fieldwalking.
Roman coin hoard of 2 silver siliquae.
Roman pottery, building material, coins (including a coin hoard), a Hertfordshire pudding stone quern fragment and artefacts, medieval and post-medieval artefacts and undated lead waste. A Roman furniture fitting with fired clay adhering may be miscast or burnt.
All from an area circa 30m in diameter.
See lists in file.
The Roman coin hoard was submitted as potential Treasure (Treasure case 2011 T224) and declared Treasure at inquest 11 on May 2012. The Norwich Castle Museum had hoped to acquire them but withdrew. See Treasure report in file.
E. Darch (HES), 20 January 2011 and 29 May 2012. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 8 June 2020.

Before 6 June 2012. Metal-detecting. [4].
6 Roman coins.
Medieval lace tag.
1 post-medieval coin, a buckle and a copper alloy stud.
Information from PAS import.
A. Beckham (HES), 12 March 2013.

Monument Types

  • FINDSPOT (Unknown date)
  • FINDSPOT (Prehistoric - 1000000 BC to 42 AD)
  • BUILDING (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • FLOOR (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • HYPOCAUST (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • POTTERY KILN? (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • SETTLEMENT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds

  • ANIMAL REMAINS (Undated)
  • HORSESHOE (Undated)
  • NAIL (Undated)
  • UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (Undated)
  • VESSEL (Undated)
  • LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
  • BRACELET (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • COIN HOARD (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • FINGER RING (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • FLOOR TILE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • FLUE TILE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • FURNITURE FITTING (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • KILN FURNITURE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • KNIFE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • MOLLUSCA REMAINS (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • NAIL (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)
  • SPADE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • STEELYARD (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • VESSEL (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • WEIGHT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 69 AD to 69 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 260 AD to 268 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 320 AD to 330 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 330 AD to 335 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 330 AD to 335 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 348 AD to 350 AD)
  • POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • POT MEND (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • LACE TAG (Medieval - 1200 AD to 1500 AD)
  • GUNFLINT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • VESSEL (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • COIN (16th Century - 1580 AD to 1580 AD)
  • BUCKLE (17th Century to 18th Century - 1670 AD to 1730 AD)
  • STUD (17th Century to 18th Century - 1700 AD to 1800 AD)

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

---Publication: British Museum. 2013. Treasure Act Annual Report 2011. p xxii.
---*Fieldwork: Fenland Survey. MTW 144. FENS.
---*Fieldwork: Fenland Survey. MTW 148. FENS.
---*Fieldwork: Fenland Survey. MTW FE. FENS.
---Photograph: I & RS. Digital finds image.
---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---Monograph: Silvester, R. J. 1991. The Fenland Project, Number 4: The Wissey Embayment and the Fen Causeway, Norfolk. East Anglian Archaeology. No 52.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
<S1>Archive: Fenland Folders.

Related records

36379Related to: Possible Roman enclosures (Monument)
4780Related to: Site of Roman villa at 'Sleisham', Little Holme and Late Iron Age to Roman and Middle Saxon finds (Monument)

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