Ancient Monuments

History on the Ground

This site is entirely user-supported. See how you can help.

Broomsthorpe Deserted Medieval Village

A Scheduled Monument in Tattersett, Norfolk

We don't have any photos of this monument yet. Why don't you be the first to send us one?

Upload Photo »

Approximate Location Map
Large Map »

If Google Street View is available, the image is from the best available vantage point looking, if possible, towards the location of the monument. Where it is not available, the satellite view is shown instead.

Coordinates

Latitude: 52.8244 / 52°49'27"N

Longitude: 0.7488 / 0°44'55"E

OS Eastings: 585303.731786

OS Northings: 328748.47679

OS Grid: TF853287

Mapcode National: GBR R76.XTB

Mapcode Global: WHKQ4.G8SL

Entry Name: Broomsthorpe Deserted Medieval Village

Scheduled Date: 15 October 1990

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1013412

English Heritage Legacy ID: 11511

County: Norfolk

Civil Parish: Tattersett

Traditional County: Norfolk

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Norfolk

Church of England Parish: Tattersett All Saints and St Andrew

Church of England Diocese: Norwich

Details

The monument comprises the well preserved remains of an abandoned rural
settlement. The village is located on a tributary of the River Wensum and was
occupied in the Medieval period. It may be the lost village of Sengham whose
church was abandoned after being given to Castle Acre Priory. In 1410 the
village is recorded as having 12 tenants, however, by the middle of the 16th
century it was all but abandoned; a fate shared by up to a quarter of the
village settlements of Medieval England.
Many traces of the settlement are visible as earthworks preserved under
pasture. They include the outlines of houses and yards, hollow-way tracks
and, beneath a recent plantation, the well preserved foundations of a large
building, thought to be the remains of a church. The site has never been
excavated.
The settlement is located near to two Medieval moats, one of which (now
totally levelled) was located just to the north of the village and several
Medieval field systems. The impressive remains of East Rudham Priory are
located 1km to the north-west.

MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

Deserted Medieval villages are a major type of monument of the Medieval
period. They tell us much about the economy and settlement of Medieval rural
England. Broomsthorpe is a fine example of a lowland abandoned settlement
containing a range of buildings and features. These include the foundations of
a large building thought to be the church and possibly identifying the
settlement as the lost village of Sengham. The earthworks are sharply defined
and survive in good condition. The location of features near to the river
indicates the potential preservation of water-logged remains and as such the
monument has good future archaeological potential. The monument is further
enhanced by its association with a range of monuments from the same period
including a Priory, two moats and field systems, which together make up a
well-articulated Medieval landscape, largely unaffected by later occupation.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Batcock, N, 'East Anglian Archaeology' in The Ruined Churches of Norfolk, ()

Source: Historic England

Other nearby scheduled monuments

AncientMonuments.uk is an independent online resource and is not associated with any government department. All government data published here is used under licence. Please do not contact AncientMonuments.uk for any queries related to any individual ancient or schedued monument, planning permission related to scheduled monuments or the scheduling process itself.

AncientMonuments.uk is a Good Stuff website.