NHER 3573 (Monument record) - Early Saxon inhumation cemetery near The Bell Inn

July 1929. Stray Find.
Found some yards in front of Bell Inn:
Early Saxon 'plain Anglian' pot (6th century according to Fox). Complete pot, never broken. 4 1/4" high, diameter 5". Paste hard coarse black. Handmade, rim smooth and polished, top half smoother than lower half.
Note inside pot speaks of "fragments of a portion of an urn" as if the writer thought that the broken sherds would be insufficient to do this. Previous finds "associated with human remains" many years before.
Information from (S1), which has a sketch of the pot on its reverse.
This pot is recorded as being in the King's Lynn Museum and is almost certainly the object now accessioned as KILLM : 1994.754.
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 7 June 2018.

'Many years before' 1929.
Human bones found.

1930.
Human skeletons found.

Pre 1936.
Beaker pot found with human remains.

1955 to 1956.
Human bones found.

1962.
Four skeletons, two of which had Early Saxon grave goods found.

1970-1971. Excavation.
Carried out by K. Wade for Norfolk Research Committee and D.o.E. on the site of Early Saxon inhumation cemetery around The Bell public house. This revealed three inhumations, the first a proposed female burial which had associated grave-goods of an iron knife, an iron razor and a copper-alloy belt buckle. The second inhumation was a male who also had associated grave-goods of an iron knife; this is also the only burial which contained pottery which included a beaker sherd and 12th century sherds. The third burial was of a child, this is the only grave which had no associated grave-goods. Medieval features of Late Saxon beam-slot and medieval pits were also recorded. A post medieval horse burial was also uncovered during this excavation.
See report (S1) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S2).
M. Langham-Lopez (HES), 30 May 2013.

January 1998. Watching Brief.
Human bones and early medieval pottery found in pipe trench.
See report (S3) and correspondence in file. This work was also noted in (S4) and (S5).
An archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2022.317).
E. Rose (NLA), 21 January 1998. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 5 December 2022.

June 2002. Watching Brief.
Carried out on groundworks for two new conservatories at The Bell Inn Public House, Grimston.
The watching brief revealed no features, deposits or artefacts of archaeological significance.
See report (S6) and (S7).
M. Horlock (NLA), 11 March 2003.

August 2020. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of groundworks associated with construction of extension to existing dwelling to rear of Bell Inn (at TF 7209 2246).
The foundation trenches exposed natural geological deposits at a depth of c.1.1m below ground level. At just above this level a near-complete inhumation burial was exposed, comprising the articulated skeleton of a young adult male lying on his left site in a slightly crouched position. Although the skeleton itself was reasonably intact it was clear that the grave had been truncated by post-medieval to modern activity on the site - with a made ground deposit lying directly above the natural deposits. This material had probably been lain down following the demolition of brewery building that previously occupied the site.
Given the position of the body and it proximity to the previously identified inhumation cemetery it is highly likely that this burial was Early Saxon, although no grave good of this date were present. Datable finds from the grave fill included two handmade pottery sherds of possible Late Iron Age date and single sherds of medieval and post-medieval pottery. The latter are probably intrusive from the overlying made ground deposits. Samples taken from the grave fill were also found to contain material that was probably intrusive, including fragments of ceramic building material, smithing slag of likely post-medieval date and small rodent bones. Apart from single sherds of medieval and medieval/post-medieval pottery the finds from the overlying layers were predominantly of relatively recent date. These post-medieval objects include pottery sherds; roof tile, pantile and brick fragments; stone roof tiles; iron smithing slag; clay tobacco pipe fragments and two incomplete large whetstones. A small assemblage of undatable metal objects was also recovered, along with fragments of animal bone and a number of oyster shells.
Information from draft report. Final version awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 12 September 2022.