NHER 1047 (Monument record) - Illington Early Saxon Cemetery

Illington, site of Anglo-Saxon cemetery [1]. Spread of cremation urns over an area approximately 40m x 40m at least. Some may survive both excavation and ploughing.
See (S12).
A. Rogerson (NAU) 1975.

March 1949. Casual Observation.
Human remains were discovered at a depth of two feet whilst deep ploughing to the north of Oak Plantation.
The remains were identified as an adult human male.
A skull and femur were deposited in the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM:1949.50).
Information from Record Cards (S1-S4) and HER Notes (S5).
See contemporary newspaper articles (S6).
Noted in Journal Article (S9).
Noted in monograph (S12).
H. Hamilton (HES), 19 December 2025.

April-May 1949. Excavation.
A field visit following the discovery of human remains in March identified the remains of an Early Saxon cemetery to the north of the road. This was excavated by the Ministry of Works. An area 120 feet (36.6m) by 20 feet (6m) was excavated.
The excavations recorded 212 urns, 12 food vessels, the unurned cremations, and 3 internments. 48 of the urns held grave goods.
Grave goods included a bronze bowl, brooches, beads, miniature implements, combs, iron objects, gaming pieces, spindle whorls, lead loomweights, and bone objects.
The archive from this excavation has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM:1950.220).
See monograph (S12) for full publication of this excavation.
See initial publications (S7) and (S8) and contemporary newspaper articles (S6).
Noted in Journal Article (S7).
Information from Record Cards (S1-S4) and HER Notes (S5).
H. Hamilton (HES), 19 December 2025.

1974. Fieldwalking.
A survey was carried out by the Norfolk Archaeological Unit on the site of Illington Anglo-Saxon cemetery.
Roman coarse wares.
Plain and decorated Early Saxon pottery.
Information from newsletter (S11).
See also published monograph (S12).
H. Hamilton (HES), 19 December 2025.

Late 1970's. Casual find.
Two sherds Early Saxon pottery (1 body and 1 rim).
Several dozen sherds of medieval pottery, mostly unglazed but including a small number of Grimston green-glazed.
Identified by T. Gregory (NCM) 14 October 1983.
Information from HER Record Notes (S5).
H. Hamilton (HES), 19 December 2025.

February 1982. Fieldwalking.
A gridded survey was carried out by the A. Rogerson, K. Penn, and B. Milligan (Norfolk Archaeological Unit) on the site of Illington Anglo-Saxon cemetery.
This yielded a large scatter of flints, including potboilers. A report by Francis Healy suggests a Late Neolithic to Early Bronze Age date.
Prehistoric (including some possible Iron Age), Early Saxon, and medieval pottery sherds were also recovered.
The finds recovered have been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2001.183).
Information from HER Record Notes (S5).
A. Rogerson (NAU). Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 23 July 2019. Amended H. Hamilton (HES), 19 December 2025.

April 1987. Fieldwalking.
This field was investigated as part of a parish survey undertaken by A. Davison (Norfolk Archaeological Research Group).
1 worked flint.
1 bag of Early Saxon pottery was collected and the extent of this pottery scatter was plotted.
Information from HER Record Notes (S5).
A. Rogerson (NAU), 29 May 1987. Amended H. Hamilton (HES), 19 December 2025.

December 1997. Metal detecting.
Prehistoric flint scraper.
Early Saxon ring and brooch.
Medieval finds.

Up to May 1998. Metal detecting.
Roman brooches and object.
Early Saxon/Middle Saxon buckle.
Middle Saxon, Late Saxon, medieval and post medieval finds.
A. Rogerson (NLA) 15 June 1999.

23 February 2008. Fieldwalking survey.
Fieldwalking training day undertaken by the Breckland Society within Church Field (south of the church). Two blocks of transects were walked, the majority of which fell within the area of NHER 17896. The southernmost of the two areas (Area B) did however include part of NHER 1047. See NHER 17896 for details of the material recovered.
P. Watkins (HES), 24 April 2013.