Record Details
| NHER Number: | 4290 |
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| Type of record: | Monument |
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| Name: | Site of St Margaret's Church, Shouldham |
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Summary
This is the site of the medieval church of St Margaret’s. It was still standing in 1519 but the date it fell from use is uncertain. In 1840 it was rediscovered after lowering a hill in a field adjoining the present church. The foundations of the west and north side were nearly perfect and several bodies were discovered to the south side. A visit to the site in 1952 noted a pronounced rise at this point here and a number of flints and medieval brick on the ground surface. From the 1960s onwards a large number of pottery sherds and bones have been found here. Types identified include Saxon Ipswich, St Neots and Thetford Wares, medieval coarsewares and various post medieval pieces. It is also worth noting that an unusual Late Saxon brooch was found with a metal detector in the area where the church once stood.
Images - none
Location
| Grid Reference: | TF 6830 0857 |
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| Map Sheet: | TF60NE |
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| Parish: | SHOULDHAM, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK |
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Full description
Site of the medieval church.
9 October 1952. Pronounced rise at this point, depressions to east.
Flints and medieval brick on surface. Human bones lie around.
Information from NCM card.
R. R. Clarke (NCM).
1963.
Fragmentary human skeletons ploughed up on south side.
Information from KLM.
Around 1900.
Bryant records that the church had three bells temp Edward VI. It was still standing in 1519 and was excavated in 1840. A stone coffin lid seen by Blomefield at All Saints' may have come from here.
1974. Finds by A. Rogerson (NAU).
One Ipswich Ware body sherd; one handmade burnished bodysherd with grooved decoration - Iron Age or Early Saxon; two rims and base Thetford-type ware; one rim St Neots type, miscellaneous coarsewares (mostly medieval); human bones; seven post medieval sherds, clay pipe stem; brick and tile fragments; lead weight, circular iron ?vessel rim, iron pointed object.
E. Rose (NAU).
'The site of St Margaret's, which in Blomefield's time was unknown, has lately been discovered in lowering a hill in a field adjoining the present church. The foundations of the west and north side were nearly perfect. The remains of very many bodies from the south side have been removed and buried in the churchyard of All Saints'.
See (S1).
E. Rose (NAU).
1970s - 1980s surface finds.
Fragment Branack limestone. One rim, one jar body and one storage jar body sherd, all Thetford type, one mortared
tile fragment.
Held by KLM, previously by member of the public [1].
A. Rogerson (NAU) and A. Gregory (NAU) December 1985.
Appropriate section from reference (S2) in file
February 2000. Metal detecting.
Late Saxon brooch of unusual type. See description in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA) 1 April 2000.
September 2004.
[2] states that burials are still often disturbed 'when the plough goes too deep'.
See NHER 4256 and 14177 for other burials.
E. Rose (NLA) 21 September 2004.
Monument Types
- CHURCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- CHURCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- INHUMATION (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
Associated Finds
- UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (Undated)
- VESSEL (Undated)
- WEIGHT (Undated)
- POT (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
- POT (Early Saxon - 411 AD to 650 AD)
- POT (Middle Saxon - 651 AD to 850 AD)
- BROOCH (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
- POT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
- ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- BRICK (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- CLAY PIPE (SMOKING) (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- COFFIN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- HUMAN REMAINS (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- TILE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- POT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
Protected Status
Sources and further reading
| --- | *Verbal Communication: 2004. [unknown]. 20 September. |
| --- | Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TF 60 NE 4 [3]. |
| --- | 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 - Late Saxon. Shouldham. |
| --- | Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Medieval. Shouldham. |
| --- | Secondary File: Secondary File. |
| --- | Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Middle Saxon. Shouldham. |
| --- | Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Human Skeletal Remains (HSR). Shouldham. |
| <S1> | Article in Serial: Dashwood, G. H. 1849. Extracts from Wills, preserved in the Municiment Room at Stowe Bardolph. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol II pp 97-109. p 104. |
| <S2> | Monograph: Batcock, N. 1991. The Ruined and Disused Churches of Norfolk. East Anglian Archaeology. No 51. Microfiche 5:G12. No 213; p 54. |
Related records - none
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