Hockwold-cum-Wilton in the Norfolk Breckland, on the fen edge near the Little Ouse, was the site of Romano-Celtic temple activity from the 2nd to 4th centuries AD. The location lay within a broader landscape of rural settlement and religious activity along the fen margin, where shrines clustered to serve dispersed populations and seasonal gatherings.
Source: Pleiades — A Community-Built Gazetteer and Graph of Ancient Places. View the Pleiades record →
The site is best known for the discovery of the Hockwold treasure — a hoard of silver vessels and cult objects — which marks it as a religious centre of more than purely local importance, likely drawing worshippers from across the fen-edge region. Its setting reflects the well-attested pattern of Roman-period cult activity exploiting the liminal zone between dry land and wetland in eastern England.
The most celebrated find is the Hockwold hoard, recovered in 1962, comprising seven silver cups (some with Bacchic decoration) reworked from earlier vessels, alongside a silver crown and other diadems interpreted as priestly regalia worn by officiants at the shrine. Excavations have also recorded structural remains, building debris and votive material consistent with a Romano-Celtic temple complex, though the published record of the structures themselves is relatively limited compared with the prominence of the metalwork finds.
Hockwold-cum-Wilton in the Norfolk Breckland, on the fen edge near the Little Ouse, was the site of Romano-Celtic temple activity from the 2nd to 4th centuries AD. It is recorded in the Pleiades gazetteer of ancient places as a temple site from the Roman period in Britain.
Hockwold is classified as a Roman temple — a religious site in the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer. Roman Britain's archaeology encompasses thousands of sites ranging from legionary fortresses and marching camps to villas, temples and towns.
Several Roman sites lie within a short distance, including Feltwell (2.9 km), Leylands Farm Romano-British site, Hockwold (3.4 km), Roman building E of Fengate Farm (5.3 km). Aubrey Research maps over 2,200 Roman sites across Britain, drawn from the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer.
Aubrey Research generates detailed historical reports for any location in Britain, incorporating Roman heritage, Domesday Book records, scheduled monument data, archaeological finds and much more. Enter a nearby address to begin.
Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any address in Britain — drawing on Roman heritage, Domesday records, scheduled monument data, archaeological finds and medieval history to reveal the complete story of a landscape.
Research the area around Hockwold