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Record Details

NHER Number:3592
Type of record:Monument
Name:Well Hall Roman settlement, Gayton and Grimston

Summary

Detailed surface surveys and metal-detecting between 1951 and 2014 have revealed eight distinct concentrations of Roman finds. Three of these can be positively identified as buildings because of the presence of significant amounts of building rubble. The plan of these concentrations suggests a series of scattered structures and occupation areas. Although the finds were previously interpreted as a villa this is now thought to be unlikely. Finds of Neolithic, Iron Age and Early Saxon to post-medieval date have also been recovered.
The cropmark of an undated road can be seen on an aerial photograph.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:Not displayed
Map Sheet:TF72SW
Parish:GAYTON, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK
GRIMSTON, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

About 1730. Well Hall Roman settlement. By the road from Hillington to Well Hall.
Roman coins found.
See (S1).

1951. Field north of Well Hall.
Evidence of Roman villa found, also pottery. Roof and flue tiles, red painted cement, colour coated ware, mortarium, black ware, storage jars, animal bones, oyster shell.
R. R. Clarke (NCM), 1951.

1973. Just north of parish boundary.
Traces of eight buildings noted. Pottery, tile and building rubble. Three Samian sherds, bronze finger ring.
See (S2).

1974. NAU air photography.
Cropmark of ?road.
E. Rose (NAU), 28 May 1982.

1978.
The site of this Roman building is indicated by a debris scatter covering an area of around 60m diameter. Finds occur at a density of about three sherds per square metre and include flanged tile, brick, Samian undecorated, oyster shells, bone, domestic greyware. No other pottery concentrations seen though a random scatter probably spread from the plough, extends eastwards from this site.
Information from (S3).
R. Rickett (NAU), 1 May 1990.

1981.
Roman sherds, mostly 3rd century, and coins, Early Saxon sherds found.
Information from J. Smallwood (KLWNAS).
E. Rose (NAU), 21 September 1981.

20 April 1982. Digging foundation holes for new barn.
Revealed 10cm topsoil containing red brick flecks above solid natural chalk.

1982. Centre of scheduled area.
Coins, one Saxon Norman sherd, pot boilers, stone roof shingle, large lead fragment, shale spindle whorl, two bracelet fragments. Also one Iron Age sherd.
Identified by T. Gregory (NAU).

1983. Fieldwalking. Southwest corner of area.
Produced Roman tile, sherds and coins.

October 1985. South part of site outside scheduled area.
Roman pottery found. 2nd century AD.
Identified by T. Gregory (NAU).

1992. Fieldwalking finds.
Roman sherds.
L. Brewster (KLM), 28 July 1992.

September to October 1992. Metal detecting. In southwest angle of site outside scheduled area.
Twenty eight Roman coins, two medieval coins, Roman leadworking debris, Late Saxon bell. Complete bronze Roman armlet. Additional 19 Roman coins.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 3 and 30 November 1992.

January 1993. Metal detecting. Next to wood.
Five Roman coins, footring from bronze vessel, fragment of bracelet, sherd; Early Saxon/Middle Saxon vessel.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 1 March 1993.

February 1993. Metal detecting. Southwest of scheduled area.
One Roman coin, small Roman nail cleaner, early medieval casket fragment?
A. Rogerson, 5 April 1993.

May 1993. South end of site.
Rim of Oxfordshire mortarium.
Identified by D. Gurney (NLA).
A. Rogerson (NLA), 28 June 1993.

1994. Metal detecting.
Roman coins.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 1994.

August 1995. Metal detecting.
Seven Roman coins and pin. Unusual Early Saxon brooch. See (S4).
A. Rogerson (NLA), 2 October 1995.

September 1995. Metal detecting.
Roman coin and pendant.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 30 October 1995.

August 1996. Metal detecting.
Roman coins, medieval buckle.
See full details in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 30 September 1996.

1999. Metal detecting. [1].
Four Roman coins.
See list in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 1 November 1999.

October to November 1999. Metal detecting. [2].
Five Roman coins.
Medieval strap end.
See lists in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 30 November 1999.

27 July 2004. Metal detecting.
Two Roman coins.
Early Saxon Group I cruciform brooch.
See lists in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 9 September 2004.

August 2005. Metal detecting.
Late Neolithic ?polished axehead or undatable whetstone.
Iron Age gold coin, fifteen Roman and one post medieval coins.
Roman (S5), medieval and post medieval objects.
See lists and (S3) in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 7 October 2005.

September 2013-September 2014. Fieldwalking. [3].
9 Iron Age pottery sherds.
14 Roman pottery sherds, 1 roof tile fragment and 2 tile fragments.
12 medieval pottery sherds and a whetstone.
3 post-medieval pottery sherds.
Information from PAS import.
A. Beckham (HES), 2 March 2015.

Monument Types

  • FINDSPOT (Unknown date)
  • ROAD (Unknown date)
  • FINDSPOT (Late Neolithic - 3000 BC to 2351 BC)
  • FINDSPOT (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Middle Iron Age to Late Iron Age - 400 BC to 42 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • SETTLEMENT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • VILLA (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Early Saxon - 410 AD to 650 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Middle Saxon - 651 AD to 850 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Late Saxon - 851 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

  • CASTING WASTE (Unknown date)
  • METAL WORKING DEBRIS (Undated)
  • UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (Undated)
  • WHETSTONE (Unknown date)
  • POLISHED AXEHEAD (Late Neolithic - 3000 BC to 2351 BC)
  • COIN (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • POT (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • POT (Middle Iron Age to Late Iron Age - 400 BC to 42 AD)
  • ANIMAL REMAINS (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • BRACELET (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • BRACELET (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • BROOCH (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • FINGER RING (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • FLUE TILE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • HAIR PIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • METAL WORKING DEBRIS (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • MOLLUSCA REMAINS (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • PENDANT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • PIN (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)
  • ROOF TILE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • ROOF TILE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • SPINDLE WHORL (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • TILE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • TOILET ARTICLE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • VESSEL (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • BROOCH (Early Saxon - 411 AD to 650 AD)
  • VESSEL (Early Saxon - 411 AD to 650 AD)
  • VESSEL (Middle Saxon - 651 AD to 850 AD)
  • BELL (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • POT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • BOX (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • BUCKLE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • COIN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FURNITURE FITTING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • STRAP END (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • STRAP FITTING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • VESSEL (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
  • POT (Medieval to 15th Century - 1100 AD to 1500 AD)
  • WHETSTONE (Medieval to 15th Century - 1100 AD to 1500 AD)
  • BUTTON (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • COIN (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • FURNITURE FITTING (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • SPOON (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • POT (16th Century to 17th Century - 1550 AD to 1700 AD)

Protected Status

  • Scheduled Monument

Sources and further reading

---Aerial Photograph: TF7220A-D.
---Designation: [unknown]. Ancient Monuments Form. SAM Record. DNF390.
---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---Article in Monograph: Gregory, A. 1982. Romano-British Settlement in West Norfolk and on the Norfolk Fen Edge. The Romano-British Countryside, Studies in Rural Settlement and Economy. Miles, D. (ed.). British Archaeological Reports British Series No 103 pp 352-376. pt ii, pp 351-376.
---Publication: Stuart, I.. 1974. AM7.
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Roman. Gayton.
---Photograph: 1995. LCM 29-30, Early Saxon cruciform brooch..
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
---Collection: Norfolk Historic Environment Record Staff. 1975-[2000]. HER Record Notes. Norfolk Historic Environment Service.
---Designation: Department Of The Environment. 1882-1984?. Department of the Environment Scheduling Notification. Notification. DNF390.
<S1>Documentary Source: Martin, T. c. 1700-1799. Collections of Church Notes. Norfolk Records Office. c. 1740.
<S2>Map: Finder's Map..
<S3>Documentary Source: Martin, T. c. 1700-1799. Collections of Church Notes. Norfolk Records Office. c. 1730.
<S3>Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TF 72 SW 15 [2].
<S4>Photograph: NLA. Finds Photograph.
<S5>Illustration: Gibbons, J. 2005. Drawing of a Roman copper alloy vessel escutcheon. Film. 2:1.

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