NHER 6344 (Find Spot record) - Unprovenced potentially Palaeolithic worked flints (Beeston Regis, poorly located)

Various potentially Palaeolithic worked flints known to have been recovered at Beeston Regis during the late 19th century or early 20th century, but with little additional information regarding provenance.

FINDS IN MUSEUM COLLECTIONS

About 1900. Stray Find.
1 prehistoric "chipped axe of white flint 4" [10cm] long. In the collection of A. C. Savin in 1934 (No. 88; ex W. G. Sandford) and subsequently donoted to the Gentlemen's Society of Spalding Museum. Information from (S1).
It should be noted that although this object has been recorded in the NHER as a Palaeolithic handaxe this is not specified anywhere on the NCM record card, which was found filed with those detailing the Neolithic finds from Beeston Regis. Although this object is noted by Wymer (S2), this is simply a reference to the information held by the NHER. This would also appear to be the handaxe from Beeston Regis listed in (S3) and (S4), although again the NHER would seem to have been the sole source of this information. It should however be noted that both (S3) and (S4) refer to this object as being in the Norwich Castle Museum, although this may simply be an error.

According (S1) the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh (formerly the National Museum of Antiquities) holds "flints" from Beeston Regis. These finds were noted on the same record card as Savin's axe and, again, no date is specified.
Previously recorded as NHER 6345.

October 1954. Stray Find.
Found by J. E. Sainty, in situ in Cromer Till between second sand slide (possibly from West Runton) and Beeston Beck:
1 calcined [burnt] flint. Information from (S5).
This beach find was presumably dated as Palaeolithic on the basis of its recorded provenance. It is probably the "flake in the Norwich Castle Museum" mentioned by Wymer (S2), although this was simply a reference to information held by the NHER.
Previously recorded under NHER 6343.

OTHER REPORTED DISCOVERIES

Pre March 1931. Stray Find.
At a meeting of the Prehistoric Society of East Anglia on 5 March 1931 J. Reid Moir exhibited a "…very large hand-axe of Early Chelles type, found at Beeston". This had been found by J. P. T. Burchell (S6). It is unclear whether this object was found in Beeston with Bittering, Beeston St Andrew or Beeston Regis. This object is however recorded by (S7) as being from Beeston Regis, although the reason for this is unclear as no other sources are listed. It should be noted that many of the objects described by Moir around this time as "Chellean" handaxes are now seen as dubious artefacts.
Previously recorded as NHER 28064.

Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 25 July 2014.