The Glaven Historian No.9 1 THE GLAVEN HISTORIAN The Journal of the Blakeney Area Historical Society No.9 2006 Contents Editorial 2 Richard Lee A Report on the Archaeological Excavation of ‘Blakeney Chapel’ 3 Jonathan Hooton The Shipping Survey of 1572 22 Raymond Frostick The Map of Blakeney Haven and Port of Cley – 1586 29 Michael Medlar Early sixteenth century wills of Langham as indicators of religious change 31 Brenda Stibbons Friendly Societies in the Blakeney area 37 John Wright Blakeney’s ‘Map of the World’ in 1368 49 Kenneth Penn & An Anglo-Saxon Burial at Bayfield David Whitmore (Letheringsett-with-Glandford) 56 John Peake Carved Roof Panels at All Saints, Cockthorpe 61 Pamela Peake Cockthorpe Churchyard: The Monuments and Monumental Inscriptions 66 Richard Kelham Sixty Years of Village Housing: the Diamond Jubilee of the Blakeney Neighbourhood Housing Society 73 Back Pages Danish influence; School Registers; Wet Nurses 77 2 The Glaven Historian No.9 The Glaven Historian No.9 3 Editorial A Report on the Archaeological Excavation of ‘Blakeney Chapel’ by Richard Lee Lindsey Archaeological Services, Lincoln e make no apology for once more start- Back in our own community, four pieces of ing an issue of The Glaven Historian research; two into life (and death) in earlier Wwith a report of an archaeological dig. times and two from the Cockthorpe Project run Synopsis: During 2004-5 a long overdue evaluation and detailed excavation of the Circumstances have conspired to give us an by the History Centre. The latter covers possibly ‘Chapel’ site was undertaken. It demonstrated three major periods of activity and the unprecedented opportunity to delve below the unique carved roof-panels in All Saints Church presence of two buildings. It is thought that the earliest feature is a ditched enclosure surface of our community in a dramatically liter- and a study of the monuments and memorials dated from the 11th to 12th century. The two buildings were occupied during the 14th al way and to gain a better idea as to just how in the churchyard. It is hoped that this Project rich our heritage is. will continue to produce results for publication to 15th and the 16th to 17th centuries. Possible uses of the site are explored. Inevitably, with a major dig like the one at in this Journal. Blakeney Eye, full evaluation of the finds can Mike Medlar has written on early 16th Background century and later in the nineteenth has changed take an inordinately long time to complete. So Century wills and what they tell us about the local topography.7 Richard Lee's report is inevitably an interim one changes in attitude to religion, in this case lthough ‘Blakeney Chapel’, located on This picture can be supplemented by docu- that eschews coming to any major conclusions, Langham, during the years both immediately Blakeney, or Thornham, Eye, has been mentary evidence from the Patent and Close nevertheless it provides an insight into the preceding and following the Reformation. Aknown of since 1586, and is listed as a Rolls and the Port Books demonstrating the development of both the site and a range of Brenda Stibbons has written on a recent Scheduled Ancient Monument, it was only the importance of the Haven for fishing and mar- buildings. At this stage one cannot resist specu- phenomen, Friendly Societies that operated in current programme of works funded by the itime trade from at least the thirteenth century lating on the use of the buildings over many the Blakeney area and their importance in pre- Environment Agency that provided the opportu- onwards. Yet environmental sampling undertak- centuries or the community that could have welfare state days. It is perhaps difficult for us nity to investigate the building.* en during the present study indicates that the lived out there. More information will accrue today to imagine how it must have felt to live Topographical changes along the North area surrounding the ‘Chapel’ site, would have from the detailed examination of the finds and with the ever-present threat of destitution if too Norfolk coast are not a new phenomenon; looked much as it does today, open grassland on the C14 dating; we await the results, but there is many 'rainy days' came along in quick succes- indeed they have been a consistent feature of a sandy substrate and with estuarine habitats also a need to search for any documentary evi- sion, and the spectre of the work-house loomed the region encompassed by the North Sea since nearby. dence that may throw light on the site. large (see Monica white's award-winning piece in the last glaciation.4 Yet the 1586 map shows a A crucial document concerning the ‘Lease of While we've got our hands dirty, Ken Penn GH6). In a maritime area this threat was partic- landscape that is broadly recognisable today, Chapel at Cley’ in 1596 provides additional and David Whitmore follow up on the dig at ularly acute, with the increased risk of being indeed it shows a building located approximately information for it refers to ‘one piece of marshe Bayfield now known to be an Anglo-Saxon burial lost at sea. Most of these societies have now in the position of the ‘Chapel’.5 Whilst it is no and firre growing called Thornam’s Eye with an rather than Iceni as suggested in an earlier vanished, their function largely supplanted by Ordnance Survey map, local research indicates old house called the Chapell uppon the same ...in issue of The Glaven Historian. The links to the state, but the principles of mutuality and there is considerable topographical accuracy to Cley ... betweene the Comon Channell of Cley on France are fascinating, but this is also an excel- self-help that underpinned these societies found the map. It shows that the major channel that the northe parte the marshe of Wiveton & lent example of the strong links that exist in other expressions in this area. The last paper led to Cley and Wiveton flowed close to the site Blakeneye on the southe parte & abbutteth Norfolk between professional archaeologists, celebrates the 60th anniversary of another local of the ‘Chapel’. uppon the same channell of Cley towards the land owners and metal detectorists demonstrat- organisation to make use of the Friendly Society Within historic times, however, the shingle east & uppon the comon channell of Blakeney als ing that the latter are 'not all grave robbers and legislation, the Blakeney Neighbourhood spit that now runs from Weybourne to Blakeney Snitterlie towards the west’.8 ne'er-do-wells'. Housing Society. Point has grown westwards, as well as moving Use of the term ‘eye’ has led to speculation In preparation of the Journal thanks are due inland.6 Consequently over centuries the Eye on equating the word eye with island. The term is nother regular topic in these pages is the to individuals who have read papers and given which the ‘Chapel’ sits has become isolated fur- still used widely in the area for land that would maritime history of the Glaven Ports. us the benefit of their expertise and to Godfrey ther from the harbour entrance as the spit originally have been isolated within the Haven AJonathan Hooton's analysis of the 1572 Sayers who has allowed us to use his recon- moved westwards. The channel to the north of by water and marsh. Certainly ‘Ey’ meaning an shipping survey continues this theme, while struction of the 1586 map. Last, but certainly the ‘Chapel’ was constricted as the shingle ridge island is listed as Old Norse in a volume on ‘The demonstrating how difficult it is to use primary not least, thanks to all our contributors. was pushed south towards the land. Place-Names of Norfolk’.9 sources that were not created for future histori- Furthermore, major embanking of the salt- In 1926, when a new channel for the River ans to analyse! marshes within the Haven in the seventeenth Glaven channel was dug by hand, to the north Raymond Frostick's thoughts on the 1586 Corrigenda: of the ‘chapel’ site, 5 human skeletons were map of the Haven contrast with John Wright's found in the sloping side of the channel. Very speculation on Blakeney's lost Mappa Mundi. In last year's Glaven Historian there were two * Editor’s note: The results of earlier studies have little is known about these skeletons other than The first represents diligent research into the errors in the captions to photographs. In Some been reported in the Glaven Historian, including a that they were subsequently buried in Blakeney identity of the cartographer who produced the Historically Significant Trees in Norfolk by John summary of the documentary evidence and a churchyard. Unfortunately the context in which map, while the second examines 'mapping' as White photograph 1 was of Kett's Oak not a non-invasive study of the site by the Society they were found, whether they were buried in conforming to a more platonic ideal of the world Holkham Tree and photograph 3 is not Kett's together with an account of the initial exploratory coffins or, whether any arteefacts were found and of our place in it. Oak, but it is a 300 year old oak at Ryston. evaluation.1-3 associated with them is unknown. Descendants 4 The Glaven Historian No.9 A Report on the Archaeological Excavation of ‘Blakeney Chapel’ 5 Photograph 1. Looking south across excavation to Cley with Structure 1 in the foreground (March 2005). The baulk, running north-south across the two buildings, is clearly visible; this was an area that was left unexcavated in case at some future date there was a need to check on the stratigraphical sequences of the site.