NHER 6280 (Monument record) - Undated possible iron extraction pits

'Thousands' of pits dug into greensand possibly for haematite beds on high ground south of Midland and Great Northern railway.

H. Harrod thought that the holes by Sandy Hill Lane were deliberately faced with stones and used as pit dwellings. (No not deliberately faced; later note by R. R. Clarke (NCM)).

2.4m to 6m (8 to 20 feet) in diameter, 60cm to 1.8m (2 to 6 feet) deep; 3.6m by 90cm (12 feet by 3 feet) commonest. Several excavated by Harrod in 1852, assisted by Spurrell. No associated finds, 'for iron smelting?'; R. R. Clarke (S1) (S2) H. Harrod; survey by W.J.J. Bolding, see Bolding notebook for details of his excavations which found slag and a 'Roman' sherd.
E. Rose (NAU).

(S3) reports querns found there some years before, probably 1848.

See NHER 6662.
E. Rose (NAU).

(S4), (S5), (S6), (S7), (S8), (S9). Reverend A.R. Abbott (S10), in a lecture to Norwich Geological Society, regarded these as the remains of early British iron working for iron oxide in gravel. He found iron slag (S11).
R. R. Clarke (NCM).

1965. Iron smelting site at TG 1134 4168. Debris 1.2m by 1.2m (4 feet by 4 feet), at least 1.2m (4 feet) deep. Twenty six pits seen. (Sample in Museum). 502m (550 yards) southwest of Weybourne Station.

1964. On ridge overlooking Weybourne village, 365m (400 yards) west of Station.
Much iron slag bulldozed out.
Information from informants [1] and [2].
E. B. Green (NCM).

1986. Field Observation.
Large swathe found to have been cut through easy end of this area of ?ironworking pits by owner of caravan site to west. Difficult to accurately locate on map due to changes in topography. See rough plan in file.
J. J. Wmyer (NAU), March 1986.

May 2004. Norfolk NMP.
No definite pits were identified on aerial photographs as part of the Norfolk NMP mapping, due to ground and tree cover. A large dispersed group of earthwork pits were mapped to the east which would appear to correspond with NHER 6281 to 2, see NHER 38640 for details.
S. Massey (NMP), 28 May 2004.

February 2008. Site visit during the removal of leaf litter from two of the iron working pits.
No archaeological deposits or finds were revealed, disturbed or removed during the work.
See (S10).
D. Robertson (NLA), 20 March 2008.