Scheduled Monuments›England›Medieval beacon on Bircham Common

Medieval beacon on Bircham Common

England
List entry 1020825
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1020825
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
0.01 hectares
Grid reference
TF 78160 31430
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)

Overview

History & significance

Bircham Common Beacon is a medieval beacon situated in Norfolk, England. Beacons of this type served as communication points during the medieval period, used to transmit signals across the landscape by fire or smoke during times of alert or danger. The monument reflects the defensive infrastructure and administrative systems that communities employed during the medieval era to coordinate responses to threats. As a designated ancient monument, the site contributes to understanding the territorial organisation and communication networks of medieval Norfolk.

Medieval beacon on Bircham Common is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1020825. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Medieval beacon on Bircham Common?

Bircham Common Beacon is a medieval beacon situated in Norfolk, England. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1020825.

Who is responsible for protecting Medieval beacon on Bircham Common?

Medieval beacon on Bircham Common is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1020825.

What other scheduled monuments are near Medieval beacon on Bircham Common?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Bowl barrow 250m ESE of St Lawrence's Church (5.5 km), Flitcham Priory, medieval settlement and 16th century great house (6.7 km), West Rudham long barrow (6.7 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Medieval beacon on Bircham Common

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Medieval beacon on Bircham Common's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
First month just £4.99, then £9.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Medieval beacon on Bircham Common report
Or see a real report first
Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Bowl barrow 250m ESE of St Lawrence's Church
5.5 km
Flitcham Priory, medieval settlement and 16th century great house
6.7 km
West Rudham long barrow
6.7 km
Long barrow on Harpley Common, 650m ESE of Cross's Grave
6.9 km
Bell barrow on West Rudham Common, 950m SSE of the Grange
7.4 km
Two bowl barrows on West Rudham Common, 1300m east of the Grange
7.7 km
Bowl barrow on West Rudham Common, 1250m east of the Grange
7.8 km
Moated site in Hillington Park
8.1 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Medieval beacon on Bircham Common

Medieval beacon on Bircham Common stands on White Chalk Subgroup, bedrock that formed in the Maastrichtian. The rock here is chalk.

Domesday entry for Bircham, Norfolk →
All Scheduled Monuments