NHER 38042 (Monument record) - Probable Middle Saxon fish trap on Holme Beach (fish trap I)

Holme fish trap I.

May 1999. NAU survey.
Revealed a stake alignment, possibly a fish trap.
The alignment was previously recorded as NHER 33771 context 72, stakes within the alignment as contexts 83 and 84.
The alignment consists of 102 verticaly set posts running southwest to northeast. They form a V-shaped structure pointing towards the sea.
Samples taken for radiocarbon C14 dating.
J. Allen (NLA), 17 February 2003.

August 2002. Norfolk NMP.
The site of a Saxon date fish trap is located within the intertidal zone on Holme beach and is visible on oblique aerial photographs taken in 1999 and 2000 (S1)-(S5). The trap comprises 102 posts or stakes in a V-shaped arrangement. A second linear fish trap is located approximately 50m to the north west (NHER 38043). The fish trap structure runs intermittently for 30m from TF 7133 4523 to TF 7135 4525 and then continues to the south for approximately 14m to TF 7135 4524. The site is centred on TF 7134 4524. This southern fish trap is referred to as 'fish trap 72' in the NAU excavation report of the nearby Bronze Age timber Circle (NHER 33771) (S6).
Timber from the two of the largest posts produced an Early to Middle Saxon radiocarbon date of cal AD 669 to 900 and cal AD 420 to 650. The northern fish trap also produced Saxon dates, cal AD 250-540 and cal AD 660-890 (S6). These dates would indicate that the fish traps were in use over several centuries.
This pair of fish traps did not appear to be visible on any of the vertical aerial photographs consulted. The only aerial photographs where the structures could be discerned were 1999 to 2000 oblique aerial photographs taken of the timber circle excavations and site. Due to the intertidal location of these features the aerial photographs did not provide sufficient control for NMP mapping. Therefore the mapping was located using survey plans (S7) from the Holme timber circle excavation in 1999 (NHER 33771).
H. Clare (NMP) & S. Massey (NMP), 30 August 2002.

March 2003. NAU survey.
Twelve posts survive. The others have either been washed away or are covered with sand or seaweed. All the remaining posts are from the southern part of the northeast to southwest aligned western arm of the fish trap. Also nineteen newly identified posts exposed since the first survey in 1999.
See (S8) and (S9).
J. Allen (NLA), 1 August 2003.

September 2003. Site visit.
Posts to northeast of feature NHER 36688 (seen in March and July 2003) visible but majority of monument recorded in 1999 is not. At least twenty posts are present, perhaps more. Posts survive where there is peat; the peat is eroding.
D. Robertson (NAU), 22 October 2003.

February 2004. Site visit for radiocarbon sampling.
Two further samples were taken for species and radiocarbon analysis, which also produced Middle Saxon dates. These were calibrated at AD 680 to 970 and AD 660 to 900. These match well with one of the two dates from previous samples.
See (S10).
D. Robertson (NLA), 23 May 2006.

January 2006. Casual observations made while bird watching on Holme Beach.
The timber fishtrap and the entire surrounding peat bed were covered in sand. No posts were visible.
D. Robertson (NLA), 23 January 2006.

May 2006.
This fish trap is joined to fish trap III (NHER 39586) to the southwest. It is very likely that the two would have been used in conjunction with each other. The eastern arm of fishtrap I was probably continued by an alignment of posts to the south (fish trap V, NHER 38222). Together the three structures form a large fishtrap complex.
Other fish traps are located near by (see NHER 38043 and 37613).
See (S8)-(S10).
The radiocarbon dates for fishtraps I and V range from Early to Late Saxon in date. The radiocarbon dates for fishtrap III are Middle Saxon and may indicate a firmer date for fish traps I and V. Further details regarding this possibility are awaited from the English Heritage Scientific Dating Centre.
D. Robertson (NLA), 23 May 2006.

For further information on the Holme Beach walkover and monitoring surveys see final report (S11). The archive associated with this work has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2010.321).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 11 May 2019.

17 February 2025. Exposure of site.
The site was exposed by tidal erosion in February 2025. Several timber posts were visible in the sand (S12). Information from photographs sent by a member of the public.
A. Henderson (HES), 17 March 2025.