NHER 3286 (Find Spot record) - Palaeolithic flint flakes and Saxon bead

1936. Stray Find.
Found by I. J. Thatcher in gravel pit by Priory Lane (road to North Wootton):
19 Palaeolithic flint flakes. Donated to Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 1946.164.9).
Information from (S1).
These are called "Clactonian" in the museum records, although they were described simply as rolled, large primary flakes by Wymer on (S2) and in (S3). These flakes account for the majority of the 21 unretouched flakes from South Wootton that are listed by Roe (S4). These finds are also noted in (S5) and (S6), although no additional information is given.

A range of other Palaeolithic finds from South Wootton are noted on (S1) and the site was marked by the OS as "Palaeolithic Implements found AD 1865-1936". It does however appear that most (if not all) are either from other sites or actually poorly provenanced material from South Wootton that cannot be firmly associated with this particular location (albeit that this remains a probable provenance). It is only Thatcher's flakes that are specifically recorded as coming from here. One of the handaxes noted on (S1) was found close to the South Wootton-King's Lynn parish boundary in 1864 (NHER 14416). This was one of the first Palaeolithic objects to be recognised in Norfolk and accounts for many of the references listed on (S1). See NHER 14417 for details of the poorly provenanced Palaeolithic finds from South Wootton, which include the majority of the other finds listed by Roe (S4).

In (S3) Wymer notes that the site of the above discoveries may actually have been what is now a slight depression at the corner of St. Augustine's way and the main road (TF 648 234); although this is on the opposite side of the road to the location marked by the OS. Wymer also notes that one or other of these locations may have been a location that Marr described visiting in (S7); although it now appears that he was actually referring to a location near the school where a handaxe had been found in 1864 (NHER 14416). Marr does however also refer to a number of other Palaeolithic objects that had been recovered from a pit at a higher level (c. 15m O.D.) on "Risney Road" (the location of which is unknown). This was probably a reference to potentially Palaeolithic objects that had been recovered by C. B. Plowright - these had previously been noted by Marr (S8) and are now amongst material held by the King's Lynn Museum. The provenance quoted by Wymer is however clearly garbled - at least one of Plowright's surviving finds is recorded as being "Mr Stapleton's" pit on the "Rising Road" - almost certainly a reference to the Castle Rising Road. During the late 19th century this road was flanked by a number of sand and gravel pits, including several on South Wootton Common and Ling Common.

Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 9 December 2013 and 6 February 2016.

March 1958. Stray Find.
Found by [1] in woods adjacent to Police House (site of old pit, above):
Paste bead, very worn; opaque white, very light; glaze partly worn and pitted but showing traces of bright blue.
Information from (S9), which has a rough sketch of this object.

KLM map confirms this was found here (calls 'Early Saxon').
Site now built over.
Compiled by E. Rose (NAU). Information from (S10).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 22 June 2018.