NHER 1104 (Monument record) - Godwick deserted medieval settlement and the ruins of All Saints Church, Tittleshall

Deserted Medieval Settlement including ruined church tower.
Condition: earthworks very good under pasture, but turf stripping outside scheduled area. Tower collapsed May 1981 leaving only parts of two walls standing. Farm covers part of site; early concrete buildings of 1883 (grade II).
For full details see report in file.
See also (S1).
E. Rose (NAU), 28 May 1981.

Schedule, plans, photos in file.

August 1998.
Earthwork survey at 1:1000. Extends site to north and south and has added some features within site, including a likely main entrance to the hall.
See report (S9) for details and plan. This site was amongst those included in (S10) and the survey is also noted in (S11).
B. Cushion (NLA), 22 September 1998.

Section 17 Management Agreement signed 6 September 1993 for 5 years.
See copy in office file.
H. Paterson (A&E), 14 September 1999.

See (S2).

22 July 1993. NLA aerial photography.
Some earthworks visible and possible cropmark of enclosure (rectangular) to northwest of site of church.
M. Brennand (NLA), 7 February 2001.

12 July 1994. NLA aerial photography.
Part or most of the site is visible in each photograph; the earthworks are quite clear.
H. Clare (NLA), 22 February 2001.

2002.
Old tree split and fallen, no uprooting, some wheel marks on grass due to removal of branches. Fence removal around ruined church tower. New information boards erected under stewardship agreement. Old English Heritage boards in poor condition with some wrong captions.
H. Paterson (A&E), 21 June 2002.

Autumn 2002.
Surface find at junction of side track with the main hollow way, well to east of church, at approx. TF 9026 2203:
Medieval one body sherd unglazed (weighing 2g).
A. Rogerson (NLA), 13 January 2003.

Autumn 2002. Fieldwalking Survey.
General scarcity of worked flint, only 29 were discovered, mostly in the extreme north of the site. One probable Iron Age sherd was recovered. Roman pottery was found on eleven fields (including NHER 7109). Tesserae and iron slag were recovered, and there were signs of a furnace. Thirteen sherds of Saxon pottery was recovered, along with Medieval and post medieval sherds.
See report (S3) and published article (S4) for further details. Work also noted in (S8).
H. White (NLA), 28 May 2009.

June and August 2004. Visits.
Good grass cover, sheep grazing continues. Information panels erected some 20 years ago suffering deterioration and vandalism with one photograph cut out. Photographs taken of damage for English Heritage. Possible replacement/refurbishment to be discussed.
H. Paterson (A&E), 1 September 2004.

July 2007.
Section 17 management agreement signed. See (S5).
D. Robertson (NLA), 17 October 2007.

Casual find 18 June 2007.
Medieval pot sherd.
See file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 22 June 2007.

April 2008. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of groundworks for associated with installation of interpretation panels. Two small slots were excavated by hand for the erection of two new information panels. Five fragments of medieval pottery were recovered, along with a single fragment of post-medieval brick. In the second slot a large blue/grey stone was discovered which may have been roughly shaped for use in building. It was left in position.
See report (S6) for more information.
The archive associated with this work has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2016.60).
H. White (NLA), 4 November 2008. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 17 May 2019.

September 2009.
Scheduled monument consent granted concerning the refurbishment of a low voltage network.
See (S7) for further details.
H. White (NLA), 11 November 2009.

April 2012. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of groundworks associated with construction of extension on east side of Godwick Great Barn (NHER 1102).
The foundation trench excavated revealed only structural remains and demolition debris associated with now demolished late post-medieval extensions to the barn.
See report (S12) and NHER 1102 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 1 May 2024.

August 2019. Watching Brief.
Maintained during installation of six interpretation panels.
The hand-excavated post-holes for three of the panels (at TF 90232 22043, TF 90248 22015 and TF 90302 22034) encountered probable yard surfaces likely to have been associated with medieval tofts. One of these deposits contained a potentially medieval sheep metatarsal which may represent evidence for skinning and processing. A panel placed on a rise adjacent to one of the medieval streets at TF 90180 21971 exposed what was potentially part of an associated earthwork/bank. A panel at TF 90391 22046 exposed a deposit best considered a post-medieval buried soil, which contained fragments of late medieval/post-medieval roof tile and post-medieval pantile. This soil was sealed by a gravel deposit likely to represent a yard or track surface associated with the Old Hall.
See report (S13) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 1 May 2024.

August 2020. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of groundworks associated with installation of new drainage in the car park at Godwick Great Barn.
A single undated feature was recorded in one of the drainage trenches, although this was seen in section only and it was impossible to determine whether it was a pit or a ditch. A compacted brown silty clay deposit recorded in the same trench was possibly the remains of a medieval yard surface or track. Several fragments of large mammal bone were found within this material but no dating evidence was recovered.
A grey brown silty clay deposit exposed within the lawn area to the north-east of the barn was potentially the primary fill of a hollow visible on the surface that has been interpreted as part of the main street through Godwick village. It was overlain by a buried soil or subsoil layer. Neither deposit produced any finds and unfortunately a later feature had removed any evidence for their relationship with the subsoil layer encountered in all of the trenches.
Unstratified finds recovered from subsoil and topsoil deposits included a small assemblage of medieval and post-medieval/modern pottery sherds, fragments of post-medieval ceramic building material, pieces of animal bone, a large unworked flint nodule (found lying flat – suggesting it may have been placed to act a post pad), a medieval buckle and a number of other, undatable and modern metal objects.
See report (S14) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 1 May 2024.