Anglo-Saxon Shillington

The Bedfordshire Historic Environment Record [HER] contains information on the county's historic buildings and landscapes and summaries of each entry can now be found online as part of the Heritage Gateway website. Anglo-Saxon era (410-1066) finds are generally quite rare, rarer certainly than those from the Romano-British period. As Shillington has large numbers of Roman finds so it has a reasonable number from the Anglo-Saxon period.

A brooch was found by metal detecting north-east of Upton Farm in 2006 [HER 18414]. It dates from the 6th or 7th century, in the heart of the period formerly known as the Dark Ages. A similar small long brooch, as the type is known, was found near Chibley Farm by a metal detectorist in 2007 [HER 18484]. Earlier was a disc brooch found west of Northley Farm in 2005 [HER 18497]. It is thought to date to the 5th or 6th century.

Later (8th to 11th century) is a brooch found by a metal detectorist west of Parsonage Farm [HER 18420]. A coin, dated about 705 to about 710 was found with the brooch. A pin was found south-west of Chibley Farm in 2003 [HER 18806], it dates from the 8th or 9th century.