NHER 2256 (Monument record) - Mesolithic worked flints and Roman corn drier

Various discoveries made during the excavation of the Sommerfield and Thomas gravel pit during the 1930s.

1935-1936. Stray Find.
Mesolithic flint flakes and cores recovered from quarry pit. Information from (S1). It is not recorded who found these flints, although it was most likely J. O. H. Nicholls, who would later discover a Roman corn drier on the site (see below). These finds may therefore be amongst a collection of unprovenanced flints from Setchey that is now held by the King's Lynn Museum (see NHER 59636 for further information on this collection).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 28 August 2013.

1938. Excavation.
Roman kiln-type structure, believed to be a corn drier, exposed at edge of pit. This structure was excavated by J. O. H. Nicholls (a local teacher), possibly with the help of I. J. Thatcher and P. L. K. Schwabe. Information from (S2). Unfortunately no record of this work appears to survive, the best description of the structure being a short article that appeared in the Lynn Advertiser (S3). The structures was described as follows:
"…[it] had been cut into the gravel, with a flooring of Roman-type roofing tiles covered with a layer of clay. The flue was constructed of thin bricks and the lining was of clay, gradually baked by the heat of the fire".
Pottery was recovered from the structure and (according to a note on the file copy of the article) two sherds were subsequently identified as Roman by Prof. Hawkes. Although there were initially plans to preserve the structure it was destroyed in 1938 (presumably as the quarry was extended).

It is unclear whether any of the finds from this site survive, although it is possible that some may be amongst material from Setchey that was given to the Norwich Castle Museum by Schawbe (NWHCM : 1946.164.23 : A). It should however be noted that the bulk of these finds appear to be unstratified material that was recovered from a site to the north (NHER 2257).

This discovery is noted in (S4).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 28 August 2013.