Haveringland – a brief timeline
Haveringland, sometimes known as Haverland or Heverland, was well established by the time of the Norman Conquest and it was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086.
Haveringland has benefited from many surveys by metal detectorists over the years. It has also been the subject of many aerial photographs.
Finds are recorded on the Norfolk Historic Environment database (NHER), which is the definitive database of the county’s archaeological sites and historic buildings. NHER contains over 60,000 records which describe the archaeology of Norfolk from the earliest evidence of human occupation up to the present day.
There is a “Finds board” inside the church displaying some of the artefacts found locally. The photos below show just a few of the items on display.
stone age
Evidence of early human activity in the parish comes in the form of two scatters of prehistoric burnt flints which were found by metal detectorists to the north of the village. They are thought to have been connected with heating water for cooking or perhaps blades. The earliest finds which have been accurately dated are a Neolithic flint axe and a Neolithic whetstone.
bronze age
No archaeological assets from the Bronze Age date have been recorded. However in 1944 human remains were found “200 yards west of Haveringland Hall”. The remains comprised at least two individuals and were provisionally attributed to the Bronze Age.
iron age
Occasional fragments of later prehistoric pottery, dating to the iron age have been found, but there is no evidence of intensive land use, settlement or funerary use at this time.
roman
A small number of Roman coins have been found, suggesting some Roman activity. Other Roman finds include a quern fragment and pieces of pottery.
Substantial amounts of Roman building material was used when the tower of St Peter’s Church was built in the Saxon period. Material includes brick, tile and opus signium. This suggests that there was a Roman building of high status nearby. However, no Roman sites have been identified using aerial photographs, nor detected in Haveringland. The nearest known Roman settlement is at Brampton, 7 km to the east. Similarly no Roman roads have been identified.
Anglo Saxon
The church of St Peter was built on its current site during the Anglo-Saxon period. It is believed that the first Haveringland Manor also dated to this period. However there have been no definitive archaeological investigations to confirm the exact site of the Saxon Manor. Saxon finds in the village are scarce, just brooches, a box mount, a piece of pottery, a copper alloy comb and a strap end.
In 1086 the village was well organised and to be extensively settled. The Domesday description mentions manors at Heveringalanda and suggests land used for agriculture, with water meadows and extensive tracts of woodland supporting 1500 pigs. The population, land ownership and productive resources were all recorded in the Domesday Book.
medieval
Standing on the verge beside the Cawston to Norwich road, is the base and part of the shaft of a medieval wayside stone cross. Old maps suggest that this cross stood at the junction of a road which is no longer in existence.
A cropmark survey identified the site of two deserted medieval villages. Neither of these villages has been archaeologically investigated. The village to the north-west of the Haveringland is thought to be the site of Alvington – the cropmarks and earthworks, located in Alvington Field, show building platforms and tracks. The other site to the south-east of the village are of an unknown settlement.
Similarly, few other medieval structures have survived. There is no trace of Mountjoy Priory, founded in the 10th century by the Augustinians. However medieval objects, such as pottery and tile fragments, brooches and buckles, and a medieval belt hanger have also been found – see adjacent photo:
Post Medieval and later
Probably the oldest post medieval building to survive today is Quakers Farm House, which dates to about 1700.
Haveringland Stocks are thought to date back to 1804, but they may be even older, perhaps dating back to the 1700s and the reign of King George.
The last of three buildings known as Haveringland Hall was built in the 1840s. Although the original house itself has long gone, the moat still exists as well as the stable block and clock tower built as part of the third mansion.
The most recent major development in the village was the building of Swannington airfield in the 1940s. During its construction the discovery of five Christian burials of unknown date were reported. It is likely that these belong to the early medieval period. There are no records of a church, burial ground or settlement at this location.
Haveringland Chronicles 