NHER 10794 (Monument record) - Site of medieval bishops' palace

Bishop's Manor House (site only) pre Dissolution.
685m (750yds) east of Hall.
Marked on (S1).
R. R. Clarke (NCM).

Earthworks noted by (S2) and OS 1973.
E. Rose (NLA).

Site of Bishops Palace as marked on NHER would appear to extend as current earthworks into field to west.
Series of mostly incomplete ditched enclosures, one particularly, extending as a higher area into the low lying carr. A 7m x 28m pond like depression exists in the northwest corner of this undulating enclosure.
Ditches generally 0.3-0.5m deep, variable width. Some brick and tile fragments and two pot sherds from this enclosure.
Causeway extends from west to a possible entrance into the above enclosure.
Original area now ploughed - not walked.
Artefacts:
Nine peg roof tile, medieval.
Two unglazed medieval pottery.
Identified by A. Rogerson (NLA) 12 March 1993.
B. Cushion (NLA) March 1993.

1993. Metal detecting. [1].
Five Roman coins. See list in file. Identified by J. A. Davies (NCM) 31 June 1993.
Romano-British Nail cleaner.
Saxon girdle hanger and strap end.
Three medieval buckles, two belt slides and sword-belt fastener.
Three post medieval buckles, cloth seal and lead disc with camel depicted!
See file for full details of finds.
T. Sunley (NLA) 11 January 2007.

1996. Metal detecting. [1].
Medieval copper alloy ring brooch. Round section frame with abrupt narrowing for pin loop. Tapering round section pin with square collar near loop. External diameter of 27.5mm.
Polaroid (S3) in file.
Identified by A. Rogerson (NLA) 30 July 1996.
T. Sunley (NLA) 11 January 2007.

Under pasture, some infilling of ditch with farm debris. This to be removed under supervision of Helen Paterson (NLA).
H. Paterson (NLA) 16 September 1997.

October 1999 Earthwork survey at 1:1000 and report in file. Limestone fragment found.
See also (S4).
B. Cushion (NLA) 20 October 1999.

June 2000. Visit.
No further infilling of features. Area to South partly infilled with farm waste noted in 1997, now grassed over, and noted on Brian Cushion's survey of 1999.
Removal would probably be difficult and cause damage to profile of earthworks, so no intervention to be undertaken.
H. Paterson (NLA) 6 June 2000.

July 2012. Norfolk NMP.
The earthworks described above are visible on aerial photographs (S5-S10). They have been mapped as it was possible to make several small additions to those recorded in the earthwork survey of 1999 (S2).
Certainly, the south-western corner of the site appears to be visible more clearly than during the earthwork survey, and it was possible to map three linear bank features centred on TM 0232 8895 which had not been previously recorded, along with the extensions of two ditch features which make up another enclosure, centred on TM 0234 8889.
Further linear ditches, although these may be related to drainage, are visible in the field to the east, centred on TM 0266 8897.
A curvilinear ditch feature which has been suggested formed a medieval edge to the carr to the north, (S2), has been recorded as NHER 57387.
It is also notable that a Late Saxon to medieval manorial site has been identified from cropmarks, c. 500m to the northwest, in close proximity to St Mary’s Church (NHER 57386).
E. Bales (NMP), 04 July 2012.

According to (S11) Ordnance Survey records document a conversation with the owner of Church Farm in 1980, who spoke of ploughing up building debris at [2] - approximately 500m to the north-west of this site, in the vicinity of the earthwork features thought to potentially represent a Late Saxon to medieval manorial site (NHER 57386). This information (previously recorded - seemingly in error - under NHER 10801) led to the suggestion that this may actually be the location of the Bishop's Palace recorded as NHER 10794. It should though be noted that the relative inaccuracy of the six-figure grid reference recorded means it isn't clear whether this debris was encountered to the north or the south of the track running between the Quidenham Road and St Mary's Church.
P. Watkins (HES), 13 May 2024.