NHER 4290 (Monument record) - Site of St Margaret's Church, Shouldham

Site of the medieval church.

Around 1900.
Bryant (S8) records that the church had three bells temp Edward VI. It was still standing in 1519 and was "dug into" in 1840. A stone coffin lid seen by Blomefield at All Saints' may have come from here.

October 1952. Field Visit.
Pronounced rise at this point, depressions to east.
Flints and medieval brick on surface. Human bones lie around.
Information from NCM card (S1-S4).
R. R. Clarke (NCM).

1963.
Fragmentary human skeletons ploughed up on south side.
Information from King's Lynn Museum.

1974. Finds by A. Rogerson (NAU).
One Ipswich Ware body sherd; one handmade burnished bodysherd with grooved decoration - Iron Age or Early Saxon; two rims and base Thetford-type ware; one rim St Neots type, miscellaneous coarsewares (mostly medieval); human bones; seven post medieval sherds, clay pipe stem; brick and tile fragments; lead weight, circular iron ?vessel rim, iron pointed object.
E. Rose (NAU).

'The site of St Margaret's, which in Blomefield's time was unknown, has lately been discovered in lowering a hill in a field adjoining the present church. The foundations of the west and north side were nearly perfect. The remains of very many bodies from the south side have been removed and buried in the churchyard of All Saints'.
See (S7).
E. Rose (NAU).

1970s - 1980s surface finds.
Fragment Branack limestone. One rim, one jar body and one storage jar body sherd, all Thetford type, one mortared
tile fragment.
Held by KLM, previously by member of the public [1].
A. Rogerson (NAU) and A. Gregory (NAU) December 1985.

Appropriate section from reference (S13) in file

February 2000. Metal detecting.
Late Saxon brooch of unusual type. See description in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA) 1 April 2000.

September 2004.
A farmworker [2] states that burials are still often disturbed 'when the plough goes too deep'.
See NHER 4256 and 14177 for other burials.
E. Rose (NLA) 21 September 2004.