Archaeological Test Pit Excavations in Binham, Norfolk, in 2009-2013 Catherine Collins 1 2 Archaeological Test Pit Excavations in Binham, Norfolk, in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 Catherine Collins 2017 Access Cambridge Archaeology Department of Archaeology University of Cambridge Pembroke Street Cambridge CB2 3QG 01223 761519 [email protected] http://www.access.arch.cam.ac.uk/ (Front cover image: BIN/13, group shot at test pit 8. Copyright ACA) 3 4 Contents 1 SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................... 12 2 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................... 13 2.1 ACCESS CAMBRIDGE ARCHAEOLOGY .................................................................................... 13 2.2 THE HIGHER EDUCATION FIELD ACADEMY (HEFA) ............................................................. 13 2.3 TEST PIT EXCAVATION AND RURAL SETTLEMENT STUDIES ..................................................... 14 3 AIMS, OBJECTIVES AND DESIRED OUTCOMES ............................................................. 15 3.1 AIMS ...................................................................................................................................... 15 3.2 OBJECTIVES ........................................................................................................................... 15 3.3 OUTCOMES ............................................................................................................................ 15 4 METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................................................ 16 5 LOCATION .................................................................................................................................. 17 5.1 THE VILLAGE TODAY ............................................................................................................. 17 5.2 GEOLOGY AND TOPOGRAPHY ................................................................................................ 19 6 ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ................................................ 20 6.1 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ................................................................................................... 20 6.2 ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND ......................................................................................... 30 6.2.1 Prehistoric .......................................................................................... 30 6.2.2 Romano-British .................................................................................. 31 6.2.3 Anglo-Saxon ...................................................................................... 32 6.2.4 Medieval ............................................................................................ 32 6.2.5 Post medieval and later ...................................................................... 34 6.2.6 Undated ............................................................................................. 36 7 RESULTS OF THE TEST PIT EXCAVATIONS IN BINHAM ............................................... 37 7.1 THE 2009 EXCAVATIONS ........................................................................................................ 38 7.2 THE 2010 EXCAVATIONS ........................................................................................................ 57 7.3 THE 2011 EXCAVATIONS ........................................................................................................ 76 7.4 THE 2012 EXCAVATIONS ........................................................................................................ 83 7.5 THE 2013 EXCAVATIONS ........................................................................................................ 99 8 DISCUSSION ............................................................................................................................ 113 8.1 PREHISTORIC ....................................................................................................................... 113 8.2 ROMANO-BRITISH ............................................................................................................... 116 8.3 ANGLO SAXON .................................................................................................................... 117 8.4 MEDIEVAL ........................................................................................................................... 118 8.5 POST MEDIEVAL AND LATER ............................................................................................... 121 9 CONCLUSION .......................................................................................................................... 122 10 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................... 123 11 REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................... 124 12 APPENDICES ....................................................................................................................... 126 12.1 POTTERY REPORTS – PAUL BLINKHORN ............................................................................... 126 12.1.1 2009 Pottery Results ........................................................................ 129 12.1.2 2010 Pottery Report ......................................................................... 134 12.1.3 2011 Pottery Report ......................................................................... 140 12.1.4 2012 Pottery Report ......................................................................... 143 5 12.1.5 2013 Pottery Report ......................................................................... 147 12.2 OTHER FINDS – CATHERINE COLLINS.................................................................................... 151 12.2.1 2009 test pit finds ............................................................................. 151 12.2.2 2010 test pit finds ............................................................................. 163 12.2.3 2011 test pit finds ............................................................................. 175 12.2.4 2012 test pit finds ............................................................................. 178 12.2.5 2013 test pit finds ............................................................................. 184 12.3 MAPS ................................................................................................................................... 192 List of Figures Figure 1: Map of England with close up insert of East Anglia and the approximate location of the village of Binham highlighted in red .................................................. 17 Figure 2: The extent of the parish of Binham, including the hamlet of Cockthorpe © Crown Copyright/database right 2017. An Ordnance Survey/EDINA supplied service, 1: 40,000 ................................................................................................................. 18 Figure 3: Extent of the conservation area in Binham © Crown Copyright/database right 2017. An Ordnance Survey/EDINA supplied service, 1: 10,000 .............................. 19 Figure 4: The west front at Binham Priory 2009 (© Copyright Access Cambridge Archaeology) ........................................................................................................... 21 Figure 5: Looking north over the cloister towards what is now St Mary’s Church 2009 (© Copyright Access Cambridge Archaeology)........................................................ 21 Figure 6: The extent of Binham Priory 1:2500 (© Cushion & Davison 2003, 132) .... 23 Figure 7: The Wayside Cross in the background behind the excavation of BIN/10/4 on the village green (© Access Cambridge Archaeology) ............................................. 24 Figure 8: Tithe Map of Binham c.1840 © Copyright Norfolk County Council and © Crown Copyright and Database rights 2011 Ordnance Survey ................................ 27 Figure 9: 19th century Enclosure Map of Binham © Copyright Norfolk County Council and © Crown Copyright and Database rights 2011 Ordnance Survey ..................... 27 Figure 10: First OS Map of Binham © Copyright Norfolk County Council and © Crown Copyright and Database rights 2011 Ordnance Survey ........................................... 29 Figure 11: Fadens 1797 map of Norfolk, with a close up of Binham (from http://www.fadensmapofnorfolk.co.uk/mapBrowser.asp) ......................................... 35 Figure 12: The locations of the five years of test pitting in Binham (NB test pits not to scale) © Crown Copyright/database right 2017. An Ordnance Survey/EDINA supplied service, 1: 10,000 .................................................................................................... 37 Figure 13: Location map of the Binham test pits from 2009 (NB test pits not to scale) © Crown Copyright/database right 2017. An Ordnance Survey/EDINA supplied service, 1: 10,000 .................................................................................................... 38 Figure 14: Location map of BIN/09/1 ....................................................................... 39 Figure 15: The wall identified from BIN/09/1 ............................................................ 40 Figure 16: Location map