Historic England research records

Historic England Research Records

Saham Toney
Hob Uid: 923024
Location : Norfolk Breckland Saham Toney
Grid Ref : TF8950000940
Summary : Suggested Roman camp visible as a cropmark.
More information : This monument was assessed during RCHME Roman Camps in England Project and rejected for inclusion in the published volume. The following descriptive text is taken from the submitted account. Part of a possible, but by no means certain, camp was recorded immediately E of Fir Hill and just under 1km S of the village of Saham Toney (Maxwell and Wilson 1987, 6 (1a)). It lies some 600m NE of the probable site of the Woodcock Hall Roman fort (Brown 1986 (1b)) and less than 1km E of the Peddar's Way, an major SSE-NNW early Roman road which crosses W Norfolk (Margary (1c)). The probable course of a minor E-W Roman road passes immediately S of the site. The putative camp, is situated on the gently sloping N side of a small valley of an un-named stream which flows westwards, ultimately joining the River Wissey almost 7km to the W. In a generally rather flat landscape, it occupies a relatively elevated position, with open aspects in all directions and particularly good views E and WSW along the valley. The classification of the feature as a camp is based upon the rounded NE angle, but here are no other particularly diagnostic features. A 12m wide gap in the E side, 50m from the NE angle, could represent a gateway, although there is no sign of a traverse-ditch or clavicula. Immediately E of the E ditch is a slight parallel hollow which turns W to join the valley scarp at a point which suggests that the S side of the possible fort is unlikely to have been more than about 150m from the N side. No evidence for any defensive circuit survivies in the very disturbed interior of Fir Hill Wood, and further to the W the terrain falls gradually. Immediately to the N, the ground dips very slightly. The more southerly of two parallel ditches, 12m apart coincides with the ditch of the N side, but the relationship between the two elements is, however, unclear. Nearly 150m WSW of the E ditch of the putative camp, the cropmark of a straight ditch can be discerned, superficially similar in character though probably unrelated, as it does not lie quite parallel to it. Most of the many other crop indications in the vicinity seem to be geological in origin. (1)

Sources :

Source Number : 1
Source :
Source details : Humphrey Welfare and Vivien Swan/1994/RCHME: Roman Camps in England Project.
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Source Number : 1a
Source :
Source details : Maxwell, G S. and Wilson, D R. 1987. `Air Reconnaissance in Roman Britain 1977-84'. Britannia 18, 1-48
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Source Number : 1b
Source :
Source details : Brown, R A. 1986. The Iron Age and Romano-British settlement at Woodcock Hall, Saham Toney, Norfolk. Britannia 17 1986 1-58 fig
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Source Number : 1c
Source :
Source details : Margary, I D. 1973. Roman Roads in Britain, 3rd edn. London.
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Source Number : 1d
Source :
Source details : AP's D. Edwards TF 8900/1-8
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Monument Types:

Monument Period Name : Roman
Display Date : Roman
Monument End Date : 410
Monument Start Date : 43
Monument Type : Temporary Camp
Evidence : Conjectural Evidence

Monument Period Name : Uncertain
Display Date :
Monument End Date :
Monument Start Date :
Monument Type : Enclosure
Evidence : Cropmark

Components and Objects:

Related Records from other datasets:

External Cross Reference Source : NBR Index Number
External Cross Reference Number : AF0763199
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : National Monuments Record Number
External Cross Reference Number : TF 80 SE 41
External Cross Reference Notes :

Related Warden Records :

Related Activities :

Associated Activities :
Activity type : AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH INTERPRETATION
Start Date : 1988-10-01
End Date : 1991-10-01