NHER 6431 (Find Spot record) - Unprovenanced Palaeolithic flint flakes and possible handaxe, top of cliffs (Cromer, poorly located)

Many articles and books published during the early 20th century make reference to potentially Palaeolithic worked flints found at Cromer. The majority of these objects were however recovered from the foreshore, and are no longer seen as genuine artefacts. There is however some evidence what a small number of more convincing Palaeolithic worked flints were recovered from higher up in the cliff face and on the cliff top itself.

REPORTED DISCOVERIES

Summer 1875. Stray Find.
?Palaeolithic flint axe found in Cromer by Professor C. C. Babington. Information from (S1).
This object was exhibited by Babington at a meeting of the Cambridge Antiquarian Society on February 21 1876. This was described as having been found "…in a field on the cliff at Cromer" (S2).

Pre 1929. Stray Find.
In 1929 J. Reid Moir reported a number of what he believed to be Palaeolithic implements that had been recovered from the "cannon-shot gravels" exposed along the North Norfolk coast (S3). These objects were found by Reid Moir, J. E. Sainty and G. Maynard as part of research funded by the Percy Sladen Trust. Four of the objects published in (S3) were from Cromer, three from Lighthouse Hill and one from "on the top of the cliff about opposite to the north-western termination of the Espanade". The latter was described as a "small hand-axe of Late Acheulean type". Although Wymer (S4) regarded the majority of these objects as dubious, he does however note the one from the Cromer cliff as the most convincing and possibly a small cordate handaxe.

Pre 1932. Stray Find.
Cromer is listed in (S5) as one the sites at which "Clactonian" flakes had been discovered, these identified "…in the Cannon-shot gravel of the Cromer cliff-top". These are noted in the context of discoveries made by S. H. Warren and it is therefore probable that he also recovered the Cromer finds. According to (S1) these finds are also noted in (S6) and (S7). Two flakes found by Warren are now held by the British Museum (see below).
Previously recorded as NHER 6433.

FINDS IN MUSEUM COLLECTIONS

British Museum:
The only finds from Cromer listed as genuine Palaeolithic artefacts in Roe's gazetteer (S8) are 2 unretouched flakes from the "Church". These are recorded as being part of the British Museum's Natural History collections. Wymer (S4) lists these finds as having been donated by S. H. Warren, suggesting these may well be examples of the "Clactonian" flakes noted above. 'Church' is probably a reference to St Peter & St Paul's Church (NHER 6475). This church lies close to the coast, so the provenance of these finds could well be the land between the church and the cliff, rather than the churchyard itself.
These finds are also noted in (S9) and (S10), although no additional information is given.
Previously recorded under NHER 6434.

A note on (S1) suggests that the Geological Museum of South Kensington (now part of the Natural History Museum) held "2 flakes from Middle glacial gravel" at Cromer. This note had been linked to a reference to (S8), suggesting that they are potentially the same objects are those recorded as being held by the British Museum (which acquired the Palaeolithic collections of the Geological Museum).
Previously recorded under NHER 6434.

Other collections:
According to (S1) at least one "Clactonian" flake from Cromer is in the collections of the Institut de Paléontologie Humaine.

Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 27 June 2014.