Monument record MNL 084 - Holywell Row Cemetery

Early Saxon inhumation cemetery with over 120 burials. First reference would appear to be by Sir Henry Bunbury - "One of the rusty javelin heads which accompany this memorandum was found perforating the collar bone of a skeleton buried in a chalk pit near the hamlet called Hollywell Row. In the same pit were found several other fragments of weapons and the bosses of shields" (S6). The [1931] Lethbridge plan shows 'Old chalk pit' on NE edge of excavations (R3). Also pre 1851 is the report of a discovery at "Hollywell Row of a string of clay beads and an 'Anglo-Saxon' brooch with a Roman coin and a portion of British (?) pottery" (S1, S2, S13, S3).

"A cemetery was later discovered by warreners and Wood and Cook found several Anglo-Saxon skeletons there " (S1, S14).

In 1929 T C Lethbridge excavated a hundred graves from, he believed, a larger cemetery. All except 13 of the graves contained grave goods, including brooches, bronze and silver articles, iron weapons and pottery (S1, S16).

Finds in Cambridge Museum include circa 356 objects plus circa 889 beads (S4).

For detailed report of excavations see (S15) and excavation archive (S8).

Now sited in area of managed coniferous woodland (S1). When last cleared, circa 1982, traces of possibly looting evident (S5).

Circa 1974: Fine gilt brooch possibly found on site.

Circa 1980: Proposed forestry clearance of mature conifers led to site appraisal - decision and correspondence stolen in parish file, however, no excavation or watching brief mounted. Resultant trenching & de-stumping led to discovery & destruction of further graves. Some were totally destroyed, others survived only partially disturbed. At same time 22 graves were excavated. These included one `horse burial with rider', with iron harness fittings on horse, shield boss, spearhead, 2 annular brooches and 2 wrist clasps on rider. All graves were very rich, all female burials had three brooches with strings of beads in between two opposing side brooches, underlying(?) a central larger brooch. One of these, with a central square headed brooch and a girdle hanger with `fine toilet set', had a (?hair) pin and 2 earrings, both with garnet set in bronze in situ on the skull. Other finds include Rom coin pendants, `thousands of beads, of amber, glass and large rock crystal' and `a few spears'. Extent of cemetery believed to have been located on one side only (S7).

For further discussion of the cemetery and comparison with the Westgarth Garden cemetery at Bury St Edmunds (BSE 030) see (S9).

1994: Archaeological evaluation of part cemetery (S1). Details in (S12).

From NHRE record:

(TL 714765) Anglo-Saxon Burial Ground (NR) (S19)

An Anglo-Saxon burial was indicated at Holywell Row by the discovery before 1851 of a string of clay beads and an Anglo-Saxon brooch with a Roman coin and a portion of ? British pottery. A cemetery was later discovered by Warreners at TL 714765 and Wood and Cook found several Anglo-Saxon skeletons there. Lethbridge excavated 100 graves but thought the cemetry still unexhausted. It was a typical graveyard of the "East Angles" in the pagan period and all but 13 of the graves contained 5th to 7th century grave-goods including brooches, bronze and silver articles, iron weapons and pottery. These are all in Cambridge Museum and some of the bones are in Duckworth Laboratory. (S1, S3, S20)

The site of the cemetery lies within a fir tree plantation.
Nothing significant was noted. (S21)

E.J Pader has re-examined the material from the Holywell Row excavation in an attempt to evaluate social organisation in mortuary deposits. (S22)