NHER 1308 (Monument record) - Thornham Fort

1948 and 1950. Air Photo Interpretation and Field Observation.
RAF aerial photograph (S12) revealed a large rectangular enclosure on hilltop overlooking approaches to Wash, but invisible from Brancaster.
Walls of chalk and flint 175 feet east-west by 145 feet north-south with external ditch 50 feet wide. Southeast corner destroyed by old quarry.
Suggested signal station.
Information from HER Notes (S11).
Amended H. Hamilton (HES), 21 March 2024.

1948 to 1950. Stray Finds [1].
Roman coin
2 Roman sherds
1 roof tile
Fragment of human skull and femur.
Information from HER Notes (S11).
Amended H. Hamilton (HES), 21 March 2024.

1952. Excavation.
Ditch on west 30 feet wide, over 17 feet deep. 20 fet inside ditch were chalk rubble footings of a wall 7 feet thick, traced as far as rounded southwest corner.
Finds included 2 Samian sherds, worn depondius of Antonius Pius, Castor ware, other sherds, chalk block incised for gaming boards, over 500 oyster shells.
See newspaper articles (S14) to (S17).
Information from HER Notes (S11).
Amended H. Hamilton (HES), 21 March 2024.

1955 to 1960. Excavation.
Excavation carried out by R. R. Clarke for the Norfolk Research Committee. Over three season recorded several phases of the occupation of the Roman signal station as well as later re-use as an Early to Middle Saxon inhumation cemetery with evidence for both pagan and early Christian burial practices.

1955 season sectioned the ditch on the south. This was 40 feet wide and 12 and a half feet deep in the centre, dug in Roman times to obtain hard chalk for wall 7 feet thick. Pottery and four coins suggest 2nd century occupation. Shallow graves were found inside the enclosure. 5 burials were identified in total and these are believed to be Christian Saxon, perhaps 7th cnetury. See additional notes in (S11) regarding details of burials and grave goods which included bronze tweezers and a bead of yellow paste. Medieval shers also found.
See (S19) and (S20) for interim report.
Information from HER Notes (S11).

1956 season examined the rampart footing of chalk blocks on the west, north, and east sides. Found to be built c. AD 61 over burnt thatched huts occupied approximately 40-60. Inside rampart on west side was much robbed chalk foundation c. AD 61, probably for navigation mark. Traces of occupation scanty following this, then re-occupied c. 120-200. In 120 chalk structure was demolished and ditch filled in. Further 15 inhumations were found, also described as Christian, though they contained grave goods "in half of them", including an escutcheon from a hanging bowl, bronze disc with animal decoration and interlace. More medieval shers also found.
See (S21), (S22), and (S23) for interim reports.
Information from HER Notes (S11).

Further excavations in 1960 confirmed the new identification as a native fort AD 40-60 with Roman occupation to AD 200. Roman sherds, coins and anumal bones found. Earlier finds were Iron Age sherds and necked beaker sherds with flint scrapers. Five further graves were uncovered, bringing the total known to 24, but these were described as Pagan Saxon. Grave goods included knives and bronze strap ends, however the date was given as 6th-7yh century. More medieval sherds were found.
See (S24), (S26), and (S26) for interim reports.
Information from HER Notes (S11).

See (S28) for full published report of these excavations, exluding the Saxon cemetery, and (S29) for a discussion of 'Thornham' type enclosures.
M.Langham-Lopez (HES), 22 February 2013. Amended H. Hamilton (HES), 21 March 2024.

1996. Trial Trench and Fieldwalking and Metal-detecting Survey.
Evaluation of adjacent plot proved negative.
See unpublished report (S30) and plans and press cuttings in file for further details.
E. Rose (NLA), 13 November 1996.

April 2001. Air photo interpretation.
Cropmarks visible in NLA air photography taken 19 June 1995.
H. Clare (NLA), 18 April 2001.

April 2002. Norfolk NMP.
The cropmark remains of the Iron Age/Roman fort (possible signal station) are clearly visible on the aerial photographs (two examples of which are CUCAP 1959 (S33) and RAF1946 (S12) aerial photographs). These are centred on NGR TF7253 4255. They take the form of a possibly sunken/ditched area in the centre with a bank around it and a ditch around that. The dimensions of the site are approximately 85m by 70m. It is possible that the central area is not sunken at all and just gives the appearance of this in comparison to the colouring of the bank cropmark around it.

The area of these remains seems to be within the confines of an enclosure, of which only 2 sides appear to be complete (the north and west sides). The north side runs from TF7264 4267 to TF7247 4260 and is ca. 190m long. The west side runs from TF7247 4260 to TF7250 4248 and is about 135m long. There is also a short length of a third side that runs from TF7250 4248 to TF7253 4248; at this point it appears to abut the wooded earthwork/embankment (which is plotted on both the current OS map (S32) and the 2nd edition (S31)).

In the NE area of the site (outside the fort, but within the enclosure) there are other possible cropmarks that can be seen (linears and a possible ring ditch/hut circle?) forming some sort of complex (centred on TF7263 4261). However these are only visible on the CUCAP images from 1959 (S33). (It is possible that some of these features might be at least a part of the site previously recorded under NHER 1340. However, the photograph and features noted as NHER1340 were not entirely apparent).
H. Clare (NMP), 29 April 2002.

July - August 2007. Metal detecting.
Romano-British pin or hairpin.
See description in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 1 September 2007.