NHER 4598 (Monument record) - Round barrow cemetery

1813. Excavation. [1].
Inhumation barrow cemetery excavated each side of Roman road.
The material archive was donated to Norwich Castle Museum by [2] in November 1830 (NWHCM: 1830.163). Information from NMS MODES database.
This archive included an Early Saxon small-long brooch. See Unpublished Document (S8).
N.B. research by S. Ashley (NAU) has shown that this was the above grid reference, and not further to south as previously believed.

Cropmarks now found.
See NHER Record Notes (S1).
E. Rose (NAU). Amended by A. Beckham (HES), 27 July 2020.

1982. stray finds.
Roman and medieval sherds found.
See full details in file
E. Rose (NAU).

1987. Fieldwalking.
Found by A. Rogerson at [3]:
1 ?Palaeolithic flint flake. Stained with prominent cone of percussion.
Identified by J. J. Wymer.
Information from (S7).
The NHER previously had no record of such an object having been found at this location.
It does however appear that this was not the only item recovered here around this time as the Norwich Castle Museum holds a collection of 'flint and pottery' recorded as having been found at this location [4] in 1987. This collection is described as being "…fieldwalking material found by J.J. Wymer at Sporle in 1987..".
P. Watkins (HES), 6 February 2016. Amended 16 May 2019.

1988. Metal-detecting.
Roman coins and metalwork.
See full details in file
E. Rose (NAU).

29 March 2012.
Assessment of the aerial photographs (S2-S6) available within the Norfolk Air Photo Library to produce an illustration for a forthcoming publication on the site has confirmed the presence of three of the barrows in a configuration that complements the antiquarian excavation records (S1). The group of three is centred on TF 8606 0944.
The central barrow (TF 8606 0944) measures 24.5m and is surrounded by a narrow ring ditch. A large sub-rectangular pit or sunken area is clearly visible within the eastern part of the barrow (S5). This is broadly consistent with the location of the six Saxon skeleton that were arranged in two rows of three. It is not clear whether this pit or cut area represents the excavation trench or alternatively the secondary Saxon grave deposit cut into an existing prehistoric barrow mound. The barrow, up to 28m across and which is recorded to have contained a horse burial, to the northwest was the most poorly defined on the aerial photographs. It is not clear whether this is due to it originally being a lower mound or reflecting differences in the excavation technique or plough damage to the remaining mound. It is feasible that this difference could represent a difference in date or construction technique, perhaps suggesting that this mound could have been of entirely Saxon date, although it is impossible to say from the aerial photographs. The easternmost of the three barrows is bisected by the modern field boundary, showing as a plough-levelled soilmark within the arable field to the east (S3) and possibly as a low remaining mound within the woodland to the east in 1946 (S2).
A fourth probable barrow was identified on the aerial photographs to the south of the main group of three at TF 8607 0932 (S3). This possible former barrow tentatively identified as a semi-circular soilmark would appear to be underlying the line of the Roman Road (NHER 3697) and therefore suggesting a pre-Roman date. A possible remains of extremely low and spread mound may be visible as an earthwork in 1946 (S2) on the corresponding western side of the road. Although this was not included in the mapping due to some uncertainty over its presence. However the comparable appearance of the soilmark of this possible barrow and the known example to the north would suggest that this too represents a former barrow. Other lighter areas of soil, most notably visible in 1988 (S4), were dismissed as being of natural origin.
It has previously been suggested that all of the barrows at this site are Saxon in date, however the possible presence of a former barrow under the line of the Roman road, and the fact that the size, arrangement and landscape setting of the barrow group, is broadly consistent with other convincing prehistoric barrow cemeteries, would suggest that some, if not all, of the barrows are prehistoric in date. The practice of Saxon burials being inserted into prehistoric barrow mounds is well attested.
Other cropmarks, relating to possible ditches and boundaries not directly associated with the barrow group, were not mapped as they were not to be included in the final illustration.
S. Horlock (HES) 29 March 2011.