A total of 34 finds were retrieved by the metal-detector survey; all were of iron. Finds were distributed sparsely and relatively evenly across the survey site, with a slight increase in density, although still insufficient to be described as a cluster, in the south corner.

Item Range:

- A possible latch rest. It resembles other examples found in post-medieval contexts in Norwich, but is rather smaller. It could, alternatively, be a T-headed staple with one branch of the down-turned head broken off.

- An awl or scriber. It is widest at its centre point and the shaft to one side of this is circular-sectioned while the other end is rectangular. Similar examples occur in Roman contexts, but the form is conservative and comparable types of medieval and early post-medieval date are known from Norwich.

- A probable 19th century horseshoe. Another horseshoe is of late medieval-early post-medieval type, comparable to Clark’s Types 3 and 4 of the 14th-16th centuries, though similar examples occur in 16th and 17th century deposits in Norwich. A complete front shoe has a toe clip, a feature that was introduced in the mid 19th century. The final horseshoe is a post-medieval type, probably of 17th-18th century date.

- Probable chisels, probably used by a blacksmith. Similar examples occur in medieval and post-medieval levels at Norwich. An iron bar may be a further indication of a blacksmith. Such bars provided the raw material that would be smithed or wrought into finished tools and objects.

- Several nails were recovered. Most have rectangular-sectioned shafts though one has a round shaft, indicating it is of wire. Such wire nails were introduced and developed from the 19th century (Lee 1968). The other, rectangular-shafted, nails were probably manufactured by smithing or cutting and are likely to be post-medieval in date. However, nail forms are very conservative and the recovered examples could be older, though none directly resembles any of Manning’s Roman nail forms.

- There are two possible bits. The identifications are not certain though one has a lozenge-shaped terminal that closely resembles those seen on woodworking bits of late medieval to early post-medieval date from Norwich.

- Two curving bars, one of them forming a penannular loop, were recovered. The identity and function of these is unclear.

- There are also a few pieces of probable natural ironstone

R.D.Savage, 2016, Land to South-East of Former A46, Syerston, Newark and Sherwood District, Nottinghamshire: Archaeological Metal-Detector Survey (Unpublished document). SNT5391.