NHER 6351 (Monument record) - Late Saxon/medieval iron working pits

Pits near Britons Lane, on Beeston Regis Heath.

Before 1852. On Beeston Regis Heath iron cinder, slag and pits with Roman sherds (now lost). Castor Ware alleged.
See (S1), (S2).
R. R. Clarke (NCM).

Spurrell dug twelve pits here and sectioned others.
Dug large patch of cinders, due south of Beeston Church on hilltop. Spread out for many metres (yards). Some pits filled with cinder. Spurrell dug through mound of cinder more than 1.5m (5ft) in depth. Some slags 0.9m (3ft) long. Furnace bottom 0.6m (2ft) and 0.9m to 0.9m (2-3ft) high. Mixed with slag coarse bits of pottery, some much burnt; other pieces Roman like Durobrivae. Floor of kiln for roasting ore.
(S1), (S2), (S3), (S4), reprinted from (S5), and (S6) (see Alymerton for list of sites).
R. R. Clarke (NCM).

January 1920. Investigation.
Three pits were excavated. Burnt material and slag discovered.
See (S5).
D. Robertson (NLA) 23 September 2005.

Is this the same site as Tylecote's site? See NHER 6353.
E. Rose (NAU).

Shrieking Pits here locally called Leech Pits (name to south on (S7)).
E. Rose (NAU).

1986.
Area of pits greatly extended in woods by fieldwork. They spread along summits of ridges to north, not in valleys, with one detached group. See (S8) in file.
Mostly National Trust property (except extreme east).
P. Wade-Martins (NAU) 28 February 1986.

Norfolk NMP. July 2003.
A series of pit remains relating to the iron working taking place on the site can be seen on RAF aerial photographs from 1946 (S9 and S10) and Cambridge University Committee for Aerial Photography images from 1955 (held at the National Monuments Record) (S11). They are also visible on Meridian Airmaps Limited aerial photographs from 1967 (S12) and Ordnance Survey images from 1968 (S13). The full extent to this site cannot be seen due the woodland. This site was previously suggested to be Roman in date. However, there is the possibility that some of these pits are later, an excavation that took place nearby on iron working sites (NHER 6353) showed that area to date from the Late Saxon to medieval periods, and it is possible that these are of a similar date.
Some of the pits have been plotted individually, however, these are only those that are most well defined. Most are indicated by the extent of area that demarcates the whole group. Also there will no doubt be more hidden by tree cover to the east of this area. The area that is clearly visible is centred at NGR TG1705 4175. There is also a clearly defined pit set separately, a short distance away at TG1714 4191. All of the pits that can be seen appear to follow the tops of the ridges.
(Several linear banks can also be seen in the vicinity, which probably relate to post medieval boundaries within the wooded area. These are recorded under NHER 38320).
H. Clare (NMP) 18 July 2003.

June 2012. Earthwork Rapid Identification Survey.
Earthworks seen during survey. Located in two distinct groups and same as those described in (S8).
See report (S14) for further details.
K. Powell (HES), 2 July 2012.