Monument record 2878/2/2 - Anglo Saxon cemetery, south of Dunkirk Road

About sixty early Saxon inhumations, some with grave goods, were found during ironstone mining in 1876. They were said to have been found within an 'old encampment'. The so-called 'Desborough Necklace' was found in the one of the graves.

{1} An Anglo-Saxon cemetery north of the town, on sand at 115m above OD. During ironstone mining in 1876 about sixty interments were found within an 'old encampment', of which no trace survives, though a plan of this earthwork exists in the Dryden Collection. The bodies were in rough graves, without coffins, their heads to the west. Few of the graves contained grave goods, but from two of them came a gold necklace with garnet-set pendants, a Roman bronze pin, a bronze pan or skillet, fragments of a bronze bowl, a pair of scales, a spoon and two glass cups. Some of these may have been contained in an iron-bound wooden box.

{2} About sixty inhumations found during ironstone digging in 1876 in an old encampment. The bodies were laid in rough graves, without coffins, heads to the west. Grave goods include a gold necklace with cross at the centre, a Roman bronze pin, two glass cups etc, now in the British Museum.
(Description of siting 300 yds east of parish church (a) agrees with published entry. Old encampment not visible on APs).

{5} Photo of necklace from the Dryden collection; recovered by Mr Hickman of the 'Desborough Iron Ore Company'; drawn by Dryden; exhibited at the society of antiquaries.

{7} Many Anglo-Saxon interments were discovered in Desborough village in 1865, accompanied by bronze articles, but all finds were dispersed.

{8} Exhibited at the society of antiquaries.

{9} Finds from 1876. Around 60 early Saxon skeletons in rough graves. No coffins and their heads to the west. Two of the graves had grave goods, one a gold necklace with garnet set pendants. The other contained two bronze pins and a bronze pan or skillet, a bronze bowl, a pair of scales, a silver spoon, 2 glass cups and a decorated hinge; some of these were possibly contained in an iron bound box. "Roman" finds on the property of Mr Woodcote (Warwickshire) about 300yds east of the church. Many graves found within an enclosure and a list of grave goods listing which came from which grave.

{11} A plan of the 'old encampment', an earthwork within which the interments were said to lie, still survives in the Dryden Collection.

{12} The necklace is strung with an alternating sequence of irregular gold and cabochon garnet pendants, gold 'bulla' pendants and biconical gold wire spacer beads. At the centre, flanked by small biconical beads, hangs an equal-armed cross; at either end of the string is a cylindrical gold filigree bead. Scientific analysis undertaken in 2013 found that the setting in the cross was glass rather than garnet.

{13} The well known Desborough Necklace and another female grave were discovered in 1876, another was seen a little while after.

{14} The published site falls in private and allotment gardens. No traces of an "old encampment" were recognised.

{15} Two glass cups found on the site are classified as Gpx, plain with folded rim, out-turned vessel.

{16} (SP 8083). Plate six, the Desborough Necklace. [It is presumed that the necklace comes from this site although a full location can not be traced].

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1979, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.33/Site 6 (unchecked) (Series). SNN77380.

<2> Meaney A.L., 1964, Gazetteer of Early Anglo-Saxon Burial Sites, (unchecked) (Gazetteer). SNN10289.

<3> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1975, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1974, p.165 (unchecked) (Report). SNN41605.

<4> Council for British Archaeology, 1976, South Midlands Archaeology: CBA Group 9 Newsletter (34), p.20 (unchecked) (Newsletter). SNN104928.

<5> BAKER R.S., 1876, British and Romano-British Remains, HARGRAVE 28/3/1876 (unchecked) (Book). SNN43871.

<6> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP88SW2 (unchecked) (Index). SNN443.

<7> The Society of Antiquaries of London, 1877, Archaeologia (45.2), p.466-471+Pl.39 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN103560.

<8> Dryden H.E.L., 1842-1895, Dryden Collection, Parish Files (unchecked) (Archive). SNN115.

<9> British and Romano-British Remains, (unchecked) (Newspaper cuttings). SNN43872.

<10> Dryden H.E.L., 1842-1895, Dryden Collection, Parish File 28/4/1876 (Archive). SNN115.

<11> DRYDEN H., 1876, Site Plan, (checked) (Plan). SNN55194.

<12> The British Museum, The British Museum Collection, https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1876-0504-1 [Accessed 31/08/2023] (Website). SNN112027.

<13> Hall D. (Editor), 1980, South Midlands Archaeology: CBA Group 9 Newsletter (10), p. 43 (Journal). SNN22466.

<14> Seaman, BH, 1969, Field investigators comments, F1 BHS 13-AUG-1969 (Notes). SNN111907.

<15> Harden D.B., Dark Age Britain, p. 116-7, 165 (Uncertain). SNN77351.

<16> Bruce-Mitford, R, 1974, Aspects of Anglo-Saxon archaeology: Sutton Hoo and other discoveries, p. 29 (Journal). SNN115413.

Record last edited

Sep 1 2023 3:26PM