NHER 8601 (Monument record) - St Mary's Priory Cell at Weybridge (Acle Bridge)

THE WORLD WAR TWO SPIGOT MORTAR EMPLACEMENT DESCRIBED BELOW IS NOW RECORDED AS PART OF NHER 49405.

Site of St Mary's Priory Cell, Weybridge (Augustinian) founded pre 1272, dissolved 1536, see (S2).
Many skeletons have been found here, including at least six on 27th August 1898, see (S3).
No surface remains.
Bank along south side of area may be only spoil from ditch digging.
Dry ditches forming rectangles in the pasture field likewise may be recent drainage.
See description in file (S4).
E. Rose, (NAU) 15 November 1978.

August 1995.
Scheduled site damaged by construction of dog racetrack, including earthworks of hollow way, platform and precinct wall.
Site visited and measured survey of the surviving earthworks complete.
See report (S10) for further details and copy of plan (S11). This work is also noted in (S12).
D. Gurney (NLA), 9 August 1995. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 12 November 2015.

14 August 1995.
Medieval sherd etc found.
D. Gurney (NLA), 15 August 1995.

May 1996.
Decision made not to proceed with prosecution.
See confidential report in file.
See list of photos and various prints in file.
D. Gurney (NLA), 22 August 1996.

21 May 1997. Site visit.
No apparent activity on the site since the construction of the 'racetrack', which still exists as a hollow, thinly weed covered and the topsoil not replaced.
The spoil heaps along the east side of the site are still there.
D. Gurney (NLA), 27 May 1997.

May/June 2001. Found after re-seeding.
Medieval coin.
See lists in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 9 July 2001.

May 2007. Norfolk NMP.
The World War Two spigot mortar emplacement described above is now recorded as part of NHER 49405.

The earthworks described above are at least partially visible on aerial photographs (S5)-(S9), centred at TG 4148 1152. As described above and in site documentation (S4), the principal elements comprise a possible hollow way, oriented east-to-west, with two possible platforms to the north and south of its eastern end. Fragments of what may have been an enclosing bank or wall are also visible. In addition to the features already recorded at the site, a possible northern arm to the hollow way is also visible, and also a length of ditch inside the western precinct boundary. A number of hollows or pits can also be seen. Ditches noted immediately to the south of the site (‘K’ on the site plan drawn up in 1995, (S4)) appear to correspond with seemingly modern drainage ditches visible on the aerial photographs; they have not been mapped by the NMP.

It should be noted that the earthworks are not well defined on the consulted aerial photographs. The area as a whole appears to be uneven, and is its difficult, for example, to distinguish true platforms from areas of ground which are simply enclosed by drainage ditches. Furthermore, few of the features mapped from the aerial photographs can be positively identified as archaeologically significant; most if not all of those recorded at the site could be the product of the digging and clearing of drains and channels.
S. Tremlett (NMP), 16 May 2007.