Record ID: NMS-105B02
Object type: KEY (LOCKING)
Broad period: ROMAN
County: Norfolk
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
Small copper-alloy key, with the bit set at right angles to the bow. The bow is oval and has a small rounded knop opposite the circular-section stem. The stem has a double-ridged collar at the top, and tapers slightly to a pierced end. This end appears incomplete, and it is possible that some of the bit is missing too; it appears to have a cleft at the top of the rear edge and the bottom of the front edge. Grey-green patina. Length 34mm, width of bow 11mm, thickness including bit 9mm, weight 5.69g. The grey-green patina, and the orientation of the bit, extending from the side of…
Created on: Tuesday 3rd May 2022
Last updated: Monday 9th May 2022
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: NMS-425D8C
Object type: KEY (LOCKING)
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
County: Norfolk
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
Unusually well made cast copper-alloy casket key with projecting stem-tip. The bow is lozenge-shaped externally and circular internally. There is a moulding at the junction of the bow and the stem; the stem is oval in cross-section and is thicker than the bow. At the far end of the stem is a bit with a two horizontal clefts or cuts, one in the top of the front edge and the other in the lower end of the rear edge. A narrow spike projects from the end of the stem, beyond the bit. There is an abraded black coating over the whole surface. Overall length 39.4mm, width from upper corner of …
Created on: Friday 29th January 2021
Last updated: Wednesday 17th March 2021
Spatial data recorded.

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Record ID: NMS-24FA33
Object type: KEY (LOCKING)
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
County: Norfolk
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
Small medieval cast copper-alloy casket key, now missing part of the bow (old breaks). The stem is oval in cross-section and tapers to a rectangular bit which is uncut apart from a possible groove in the forward edge. The stem projects as a little tip beyond the bit. Surviving length 34.5mm, top of stem to base of bow 11.6mm, surviving diameter of bow 11.4mm, total width (one side of bow to base of bit) c. 15mm, thickness at most 2.8mm, weight 3.3g. Casket keys appear to have been in use throughout the medieval period.
Created on: Wednesday 18th March 2020
Last updated: Friday 5th March 2021
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: NMS-673677
Object type: KEY (LOCKING)
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
County: Norfolk
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
Fragment of copper-alloy bow from a key. Half of an oval frame survives, circular in cross-section at one break (5mm diameter) and oval at the other (5.5 x 6.1mm) where the stem of the key is likely to have joined. Both breaks are worn. About halfway between the breaks there are two mouldings, perhaps representing an animal's head; one that swells out gently before ending in a sharp brow, the other angling steeply upwards to form a pointed muzzle or beak. The circular-section frame continues on the line of a lower jaw. It measures 25mm across the breaks, which may be the original leng…
Created on: Monday 9th March 2020
Last updated: Wednesday 16th June 2021
Spatial data recorded.

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Record ID: NMS-B89DA1
Object type: KEY (LOCKING)
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
County: Norfolk
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
Medieval 'casket' key made from rolled sheet copper alloy. There is a butted-together seam along the bottom of the bow, stem and bit. The stem is cylindrical in cross-section, 5-6mm in diameter, so it probably has a separate rod or spacer within. The bow expands from the stem to become a flat triangle 9mm wide, pierced in the centre with a circular hole which appears to have been pushed through from one side to the other, distorting the bow a little. The bit is rectangular and uncut, measuring 8mm long and 10mm from the top of the stem to the base of the bit. The stem ends in a very s…
Created on: Thursday 19th December 2019
Last updated: Thursday 13th February 2020
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: NMS-91843E
Object type: KEY (LOCKING)
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
County: Norfolk
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
Fragment of copper-alloy medieval key of London type VI. Part of the stem and a small part of the bow survive. The bow appears to have been circular originally; parts of two circular perforations survive, one to either side of the centre. Both holes were at least 9mm in diameter. The bow is flat, 5mm thick, and is joined to the collar around the stem by a 5mm thick rectangular area. The collar comprises a flaring conical element, a thick rounded element and a narrower moulding. The stem emerges from the narrower moulding, and is hexagonal in cross-section. The broken end appears to cu…
Created on: Thursday 5th December 2019
Last updated: Wednesday 8th January 2020
Spatial data recorded.

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Record ID: NMS-5501D3
Object type: KEY (LOCKING)
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
County: Suffolk
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
Small casket key, quite flat and carelessly made. The bow is circular, with a casting flaw leading to an internal thickening opposite the stem. The stem has a collar at the junction with the bow; the bow is oval-section and the pointed tip projects beyond the bit. The bit is rectangular and flat, and has a square cleft cut into the rear edge and two similar clefts cut into the leading edge. 45mm long, bow 15.5mm in diameter, 3mm thick at most. It weighs 5.61g and probably dates to the medieval period.
Created on: Wednesday 20th November 2019
Last updated: Thursday 9th January 2020
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: NMS-EC470E
Object type: KEY (LOCKING)
Broad period: ROMAN
County: Norfolk
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
Complete chunky small copper-alloy key. The bow (or handle) is solid and turned at right angles to the bit, suggesting a Roman date. The centre of the bit is rectangular, with a step cut out of the lower corners closest to the stem. The centre of the edge furthest from the stem has a D-shaped lobe, pierced with a circular hole 4mm in diameter; there is a smaller projecting lobe beyond this. Each face has a small diagonal groove engraved at each corner; the lower pair are where the bow meets the stem and running a short distance towards the centre of the bow, and the upper pair are whe…
Created on: Friday 15th November 2019
Last updated: Tuesday 7th January 2020
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: SF9173
Object type: KEY (LOCKING)
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
County: Suffolk
Workflow stage: Published
Small key made from folded copper-alloy sheet. Most of the bow is missing, but the surviving fragment of perforation shows that this was circular and that the bow was made from a single thickness of sheet. The sheet had to be fairly wide to accommodate the bow, and the stem is made from folding the sheet's width in on itself from the bow end to form a tapering shape. The uncut bit is simply made from two wider thicknesses of the sheet, with a gap at the fold to produce a pierced tip. Surviving length 27 mm, width (length of bit) 10 mm, thickness 3 mm. Dating such a simple key is t…
Created on: Thursday 15th August 2002
Last updated: Thursday 24th February 2011
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'COVEHITHE', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: SF9087
Object type: KEY (LOCKING)
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
County: Suffolk
Workflow stage: Published
Copper-alloy key, missing its bit. The bow is circular internally, but externally is decorated with a pair of stylised three-dimensional animal heads, one on each side, which appear to be gripping the far end of the bow in their mouths. The stem is octagonally facetted. It begins with a short rounded section, which is divided from the rest of the stem by a ridge. Beyond this, about 15 mm of the stem is solid, and then it has an off-centre longitudinal hole which has broken through on one side. Total surviving length 56.5 mm. The metal is a very pale, but apparently stable, grey-green.…
Created on: Thursday 8th August 2002
Last updated: Monday 24th June 2019
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'KENTON', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: SF9052
Object type: KEY (LOCKING)
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
County: Suffolk
Workflow stage: Published
Small copper-alloy key. The bow is circular, 14 mm in diameter, and seems internally worn at the edge furthest from the stem. There is a little projection above and below at the junction of bow and stem. The stem is oval in cross-section, and is pierced at the tip; the tip is in line with the end of a simple S-shaped bit which has two channels and two clefts. Probably medieval or early post-medieval.
Created on: Monday 5th August 2002
Last updated: Thursday 24th February 2011
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'SUFFOLK FRECKENHAM', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: SF8882
Object type: KEY (LOCKING)
Broad period: POST MEDIEVAL
County: Suffolk
Workflow stage: Published
Small copper-alloy casket key. The bow is oval, with two small internal projections at the junction with the stem. The stem has a ridge, a groove and a triple moulding around it at the top, and projects slightly beyond the bit. The bit is uncut.
Created on: Friday 5th July 2002
Last updated: Thursday 24th February 2011
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'BENTLEY', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: SF8369
Object type: KEY (LOCKING)
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
County: Cambridgeshire
Workflow stage: Published
Small copper-alloy key with circular bow, moulding between bow and stem, oval-section stem continuing in a point beyond the bit, and simple bit with single cleft to front and to rear. Simple keys such as these may date from the medieval or early post-medieval periods.
Created on: Tuesday 2nd April 2002
Last updated: Thursday 24th February 2011
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'FORDHAM', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: SF8370
Object type: KEY (LOCKING)
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
County: Cambridgeshire
Workflow stage: Published
Small copper-alloy key with circular bow, oval-section stem ending in a short hollow, and simple bit with single cleft to front and to rear. Simple keys such as these may date from the medieval or early post-medieval periods.
Created on: Tuesday 2nd April 2002
Last updated: Thursday 24th February 2011
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'FORDHAM', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: SF8250
Object type: KEY (LOCKING)
Broad period: POST MEDIEVAL
County: Cambridgeshire
Workflow stage: Published
Tiny 'casket' key made from copper alloy with a shiny white-metal coating. The bow is circular and 9.5 mm in diameter, with some wear opposite the stem suggesting that it was hung from a ring. There is a double moulding at the top of the circular-section stem, and its tip is pierced. The small bit has two horizontal channels on either face. Total length 26 mm. A well-made key which is hard to date - perhaps early post-medieval?
Created on: Tuesday 5th March 2002
Last updated: Thursday 24th February 2011
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'ISLEHAM', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: SF8192
Object type: KEY (LOCKING)
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
County: Suffolk
Workflow stage: Published
Incomplete and crushed large copper-alloy key. Most of the bow is missing and the original shape cannot be reconstructed. There is a moulding at the junction of the bow and the stem; the stem was originally hollow, and is now squashed and split with the very end missing. The bit is elaborate, with a deep cleft perpendicular to the stem which divides it into two; both halves have further shorter clefts and channels. The closest parallel in Egan 1998 is no. 313, which was excavated from a late 13th/early 14th century context. Surviving length 67 mm, 'width' (top of stem to base of bit) …
Created on: Monday 25th February 2002
Last updated: Monday 24th June 2019
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'SUFFOLK GREAT FINBOROUGH', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: SF7582
Object type: KEY (LOCKING)
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
County: Suffolk
Workflow stage: Published
Small but well made copper-alloy casket key. The bow is sub-circular (9 mm across) and there is a collar around the stem at its junction with the bow. The stem tapers towards the bit, which consists of two widely spaced wards at right-angles to the stem. Beyond the second ward the stem has a step making it much narrower, and then it tapers to a point. This shape is similar to much larger iron keys (Winchester Type 8) which can be of medieval or post-medieval date (12th to 17th century). Casket keys are rarely so well made.
Created on: Wednesday 12th December 2001
Last updated: Thursday 24th February 2011
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'SUFFOLK WENHASTON WITH MELLS HAMLET', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: SF7491
Object type: KEY (LOCKING)
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
County: Suffolk
Workflow stage: Published
Small copper-alloy key with a simple lozenge-shaped bow, an oval-section stem that projects beyond the bit and then narrows sharply to give a thin pointed end, and an uncut bit. From the evidence of larger keys found at Winchester the lozenge bow is characteristic of the 11th to 14th centuries. The narrowed pointed stem is found on Winchester type 8 keys, which are known from contexts from the 12th century to modern times. This key is of course much smaller, but on balance it is likely to be medieval, and perhaps more likely to be 14th-century than 11th-century.
Created on: Thursday 29th November 2001
Last updated: Thursday 24th February 2011
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'SUFFOLK LACKFORD', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: SF7446
Object type: KEY (LOCKING)
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
County: Suffolk
Workflow stage: Published
Part of stem and bit from a large copper-alloy key of LMMC type VI. The stem is hollow and squarish in section, with rounded corners, measuring 8 x 8.5 mm at the old break; the surviving length is 54 mm. The bit is elaborate, with two channels on either face ending in two clefts in the front edge, and a deep channel in the lower edge cut across by two more clefts. The bit is 32 mm long and the bit and stem together are 23 mm deep.
Created on: Thursday 22nd November 2001
Last updated: Monday 24th June 2019
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'COCKFIELD', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: SF7288
Object type: KEY (LOCKING)
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
County: Suffolk
Workflow stage: Published
Key of unusual shape. Only the bow and a little of the stem survive. The bow is flattened and lozengiform, with a broad knop at three corners. It has file marks on both faces. The stem is a slightly less flat rectangle in cross-section. At the junction with the bow are two mouldings, one an asymmetric triangle, which together form a very stylised animal head. Beyond these mouldings the stem emerges as a flatter bar, only 1 mm thick and 4 mm wide, which is soon broken (old break). The stem is identical on both faces. A very nice design for a tiny key, but clearly not strong enou…
Created on: Tuesday 30th October 2001
Last updated: Thursday 24th February 2011
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'PEASENHALL', grid reference and parish protected.