Summary of Fieldwork at Gayton Thorpe 1982-1985 - By Michael de Bootman

During my early teens my archaeological interest was greatly influenced by the late Tony Gregory. He used to spend a long time with me in my school holidays showing me how to fieldwalk and process the information I retrieved. Gayton Thorpe was very much a site that I have fond memories of as this was one of the sites he asked me to fieldwalk and learn from.  In 1998 the results of this work were published in the journal of the Norfolk and Norwich Archaeological Society.  Below is an extract of the results.

Prehistoric

Very little evidence of any prehistoric occupation on this site was found, and only eight sherds of flint-gritted pottery were found during the survey. However, one small concentration, probably prehistoric in date was located 40m south-west of the pit.

Two pieces of prehistoric metalwork were found during the survey; a third piece, now in the King’s Lynn Museum was found on the site in 1961.

1. Double-lopped strap union of the Late Iron-Age type with single longitudinal rectangular strap loop on the rear. The two loops are unworn, and meet at a slight collar. Arms protrude into the loops and are decorated with central channels defined by a pair of incised lines on each side.

2. Strap end loop found 5 metres north west of the above and made to the same pattern as half the strap union.

3. Fragment of repousé bronze, probably part of a horse harness or casket. Late Iron Age (KLM 67.961)

Items 1 and 2 were obviously part of a set; their proximity to each other may indicate a nearby hoard (pers. Comms. T. Gregory).

Roman

Area A
The remains of the villa (north and south blocks) had been badly damaged by ploughing. Large amounts of roof tile (tegulae and imbrices), mortarted flint and red tile tessarae were found over an area measuring 90m x 40m. Some of the tesserae were found adhering to each other in patches of between 2 and 10. The south block, which had less soil cover, appeared under more threat from plough damage. It was evident from the quantity of stone tesserae found that the mosaic in this block was being destroyed, and even some of the walls could be traced in the plough soil as elongated patches of mortared flint.

Plan showing main concentrations recorded during the survey.

Area B
A small area measuring 10, x 15m produced tegulae, imbrices and mortared flint, this was located 25 metres directly east of the north block. It is interesting to note that this concentration is in direct alignment with the mosaic and the central entrance of the veranda in the north block.

Area C
Located 63m south-east of the mosaic, a large concentration of tegulae, imbrices and mortared flint was located measuring 30m X 20m. In the south-west corner of this concentration large amounts of opus signinum and flue tile – some with mortar/cement still adhering were found, in association with odd fragments of moulded mortar. Quantities of red tile tessare were also located, and were associated both with stone and re-used fragments of samian.

Area D
A scatter of building material measuring approximately 20m X 30m was also located 50m to the east of the mosaic. This consisted of mortared flint, tegulae, imbrices and a large quantity of wall plaster. The latter was deep red in colour with occasional black bands, some pieces showing two coats of rendering. Over 150 fragment were recovered with a 3m x 5m area.

Bronze bracelet, 65mm diam., with incised lines copying twisted wire, Ends incomplete, decorated with incised transverse lines. Probably 3rd-4th century.

Area E
Twenty-five metres to the south-west of the pit a sparse concentration of tegulae and imbri
ces measuring 10m x 15m was found along with a few fragments of tile tessare.

Area F
A large pottery scatter measuring 40m x 40m was located north-east of the pit, this included a small light scatter of tegulae and imbrices.

Saxon/Medieval

One Early Saxon organically-tempered sherd was found north of the main villa. Previously, a sherd of Early Saxon pottery had been found on the site prior to 1946 (NCM 75.946). The rest of the Saxon pottery recovered from the site was Late Saxon, consisting mostly of Grimston Thetford ware. The majority of these sherds were found east of the pit, although no concentration was located.

No evidence of medieval occupation was found during the survey, except for a few sherds of Grimston Green-Glazed ware. A scatter of medieval pottery was report in 1980 in the northern part of the site, however, this was not located during the survey.

Interpretation

Very little prehistoric pottery was found during the survey, and no noticeable concentrations were located. However, it appears that there was some activity on the site during this period, evident from a few flint-gritted sherds which were found and by the Late Iron Age Strap unions.

South of the south block an area of building material was located (Area C). The large amount of flue tile, tesserae and opus signinum found, would suggest the present of a detached bath house (Gregory 1982, 362), possibly with a mosaic and tesseallated floors. Clearly this building was constructed to the same luxurious standards as the main villa. An aerial photograph of the site taken in 1974 shows that this building was possibly rectangular, although only part of it is clearly shown. This is enclosed by a boundary ditch. Although only part of the ditch is visible on the photograph, it may have enclosed all the immediate villa buildings

Another building also evident on the 1974 photograph also appears rectangular and it located east of the villa. A large concentration of building material was recorded in this area also (Area D). The large amounts of red painted plaster indicate that part, if not all, of this building clearly had painted walls. Its function is unclear from surface evidence. A small concentration of building material east of the north block, and in direct alignment with the entrance of its verandas, suggest another building (Area B); its function is also unclear. Another much smaller concentration of tegulae, imbrices and odd fragment of tesserae was located south-east of the pit (Area E). Finds from this area are probably to sparse to indicate another building.

A possible entrance road running north-west to south-east is also evident on the 1974 aerial photograph, approximately 75m west of the main villa, and ‘behind’ it is it faced east as suggested by Atkinson. This roads appears to be flanked by ditches on both sides and possibly connects the site to the Icknield Way. A long liner feature was also noted on the photograph (Gregory 1982, fig. 7) running from the area of the south block towards the pit; its function cannot be determined from current evidence.

Although pottery is generally distributed over all parts of the site only one concentration was located north-east of the pit. This concentration (Area F) – judging from the evidence of samian, colour-coated ware and shell-gritted wares – dates from the 2^nd – 4^th centuries.

Atkinson’s suggested date-range of AD 150-170 to 300-20 (Atkinson 1929. 208-209) fits well with the evidence from the pottery recovered during the survey, and the strong bias to the 3^rd-4^th centuries is common to most of the Icknield Way villas (Gregory 1982, 366). It appears that the floruit of the villa was certainly within the later Roman period.

Conclusion

Gayton Thorpe was a well-developed villa, with two main buildings revealed by excavation (Atkinson 1929, 166-209). Fieldwork during 1982-5 located surface evidence for three other buildings, including a possible detached bath-house. The economy of the villa estate was probably based largely on agriculture, utilising the gault clays to the west, with their overlying glacial deposits, for cultivation; on the higher chalk lands to the east the rearing of livestock would probably have been of greater importance.

The pottery finds from the recent work do not contradict Atkinson’s suggested mid 2^nd to early 4^th century date-range for the site, but Iron Age pottery and metalwork indicate earlier activity as well. There is no evidence of post-Roman occupation except for a few sherds of Late Saxon and medieval pottery.

Atkinson, D., 1929   ‘The Roman Villa at Gayton Thorpe’. NorfolkArchaeology XXIII, 166-209.

de Bootman, M., 2001   ‘Re-evaluation of the Roman Villa at Gayton Thorpe, Norfolk’. Norfolk Archaeology XLIII, 133-142.

Gregory, T., 1982   ‘Romano-British settlement in west Norfolk and on The Norfolk Fen edge’ in Miles, D., (ed.) The Romano-British Countryside. Studies in Rural Settlement and Economy, British Archaeological Report, British Series 103 (Oxford), 351-76.