NHER 12499 (Find Spot record) - Bronze Age swords and other metal finds

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Summary

According to local tradition during drainage of the Fens in the 17th century a number of Bronze Age swords and other metal finds were discovered and reforged into fittings used in the construction of bridges.

Protected Status/Designation

None recorded

Location

Map sheet	Not recorded
Civil Parish	HOCKWOLD CUM WILTON, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Map

No mapped location recorded.

Full Description

There is a recurring tale in the Fens that when in the 17th century Dutch engineers were draining Hockwold Fen and other fens, they found very large numbers of Bronze Age swords and other implements, which were loaded into lighters and carried to Denver Sluice and reforged into hoops, bolts, etc. for bridges.
Some of the hoops still being visible on posts early this century.
Previous to the draining, any gold or silver found in the fens was taken to Ely where an official clearing house exchanged it for coin.
Information from (S1), including Bryant and (S2).

Associated Sources (3)

--- SNF57722 Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
<S1> SNF56706 Archive: Bolingbroke family. 1300's-1960. Bolingbroke Collection. Norfolk Record Office.
<S2> SNF3630 Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 28 August.

Site and Feature Types and Periods (1)

FINDSPOT (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)

Object Types (2)

SWORD (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)

Related NHER Records (0)

Find out more...(1)

Hockwold cum Wilton (Parish Summary)

Record last edited

Mar 14 2006 11:55AM