NHER 7225 (Monument record) - Gramston or Grenstein deserted village

1963. Surface finds.
Late 12th to 14th century pottery, fragment of Mayen lava quern. Quartzite spindle whorl from Kurtlinga; much Niedermendig lava reported.
(Copy of NCM card; material not seen).

1965/6. Excavation.
P. Wade-Martins excavated the upper layer of the largest croft for M.P.B.W., revealing a layout of buildings and yards after earthworks bulldozed 1959. The pound and street were also excavated.
The croft (140 ft. by 150 ft.) was approached by a bridge which was over a deep ditch, which lied between the row of crofts and the street. The entrance led into a flint farmyard (I) surrounded by outbuildings and gave access to a smaller yard which had further outbuildings. Behind this yard there was a living area which contained a house and two pits for water and rubbish. The buildings were probably built either with clay blocks or wattle-and-daub. The ploughing in the area had been so severe that there are often few traces of the building survived.
The house was 30 ft. by 25 ft. and was divided into two parts. The front, which was probably the main part of the house, was itself divided into two and in one room there were traces of four hearths. On the north side of yard there was a long building about 20 ft. wide, between the yard and the croft ditch, possibly extending from a front part, which ran parallel to the street, to the rear of the yard. On the other side of the croft entrance was a building (18 ft. by c. 25 ft.) of which only a trace of the north wall had survived.
Finds include a Coin of Edward I, Ipswich ware, Medieval wares and also metalwork etc. There are little post medieval finds. Scatter of Thetford ware to north indicated southward migration of village. Area of village includes site of Callis's Manor east of green. Cropmarks of converging trackways to southeast and northeast.
Excavation showed desertion in 16th century rather than 13th/14th century suggested by (S1) and (S2), see (S10) for further information.
E. Rose (NAU) amended by M. Langham-Lopez (HES), 29 April 2013.


12 August 1972. Ordnance Survey air photography.
Positive cropmarks.
Deserted medieval village.
D. Voisey (NLA), 22 September 1995.

1999.
Sherds collected from arable at four points in Back Lane Field
1. Five medieval unglazed body sherds. One thumbed base glazed Grimston (no glaze present).
2. Unmodified primary flake, patinated, some edge damage. Undatable prehistoric. One body sherd Glazed Grimston.
3. One Glazed Grimston body sherd.
4. One rim unglazed Grimston bowl. One flange fragment from large bowl, medieval unglazed.
Lava quern fragments at TF 9080 1988 and TF 9113 1953.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 27 May 1999.

Photographs (S3), finds illustrations (S4), reports (S5) to (S7), press cuttings (S8) and correspondence (S9) in file.