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Historic England Research Records

High Cross Roman Settlement

Hob Uid: 337719
Location :
Leicestershire
Harborough
Claybrooke Parva
Grid Ref : SP4730088600
Summary : The site of a Roman roadside settlement (1st - 4th century) positioned at the crossroads of the Foss Way and Watling Street. Evidence of pre-existing Iron Age settlement on site and possible ?Prehistoric barrow with inhumation burials. No surface traces.
More information : (SP 4733 8874) Venonae Roman Town (1)

Roman settlement at the intersection of the Fosse Way and Watling Street. (2)

Delete Bennones, substitute Venonae. (3)

"No traces of Roman camp or town are now to be seen, but Camden mentions that numerous coins were found, and that foundations of hewn stone lay under the furrows on both sides of the road(a). Burton in 1622 spoke of 'many ancient coins, great square stones and bricks and other rubbish of ancient Roman building'; and added that the coins dated from Caligula to Constantine the Great (b). Dugdale describes 'large stones, Roman brick, with ovens and wells, coins of silver and brass,' he also stated that the earth of the site was darker and richer than elsewhere (c). Elias Ashmole in 1657 saw a foundation measuring 18' by 12' which he thought was the site of a temple(d). Stukely, Horsley & Nichols mention further discoveries of a few coins only, a denarius of Mark Antony, another of Domitian, and copper coins of the late third & fourth centuries, down to Gratian (e-g). Mr. Haverfield considers that it is now impossible to decide the precise position, the size or the character of the Roman station, it may have been a village, or a posting station(h)".

The identification of the site with Venonae is certain, as it is placed by the Antonine Itinerary on the intersection of the two roads, at approx. the correct distances from known sites, Bannaventa, Manduessedum & Ratae.

Many inhumations were found on removing a tumulus at the Roman Station at High Cross according to Stukeley. (4-5)

No trace of an earthwork was found during field investigation. (6)

Iron Age bronze chariot attachment from High Cross in Leicester Museum. (7)

In the areas surrounding High Cross Farm, evidence was produced of occupation from 1st to 4th cent, including coins, pottery, building material, drainage ditches, sumps, pits and post holes, along with slight evidence of IA occupation; but no actual building foundations or earthworks were found. These resulted from 1913 and 1929-32 trial excavations and 1955, 1967-8 rescue excavations (ahead of road works). (8-10)

The area has been considerably disturbed by the construction of modern roads. There are no surface remains of the settlement.

Name 'VENONIS' accepted for 4th. edition R.B.Map. (11)

High Cross. Venonis. The settlement lay about the intersection of Watling Street and Foss Way. Excavations and discoveries made during road construction revealed timber buildings, represented by post-holes, gullies, slots, hearths, pits and gravel yard surfaces. No complete building plan was recovered. The earliest pottery was Flavian and occupation continued into the fourth century. (12)

SP 472 888; SP 473 888; SP 475 886; SP 473 885; SP 471 885; SP 471 886. Roman town at High Cross. Scheduled. (13)
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Source Number : 1
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Source details : Ordnance Survey 6" 1904
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Source Number : 2
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Source details : Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological Society XVIII, p.41. P. Gouldesbrough, 22.3.50
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Source Number : 4g
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Source details : Nichols, History of Leicestershire. IV, 125.
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Source Number : 4h
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Source details : Haverfield, Victoria County History: Warwick I, 232.
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Source Number : 5
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Source details : Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries Scotland 2. 3, 473.
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Source Number : 6
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Source details : D Smith/11-APR-1960/Ordnance Survey9 Field Investigator DS 11-APR-60
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Source Number : 7
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Source details : Victoria County History Leicester 1 1907 pg.172, 176.
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Source Number : 8
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Source details : Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological Society 18 1933-5 pg.47-69 plans (A J Pickering)
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Source Number : 9
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Source details : Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological Society 40 1964-5 3-41 plans (E Greenfield L G Webster)
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Source Number : 10
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Source details : Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological Society 43 1967-8 pg.63 (E Greenfield)
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Source Number : 11
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Source details : J Baird/21-APR-1972/Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigator
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Source Number : 12
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Source details : Finch Smith R. Roadside Settlement in Lowland Roman Britain - British Archaeological Report No 157.
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Source Number : 3
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Source details : Victoria County History, Leicester I. p.213.
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Source Number : 13
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Source details : English Heritage SAM List Leicestershire March 1994 3
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Source Number : 4
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Source details : Page & Keate, Victoria County History: I (1907), 213.
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Source Number : 4a
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Source details : Gough's Camden (1806) II, 297.
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Source Number : 4b
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Source details : Burton, Description of Leicestershire, 67.
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Source Number : 4c
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Source details : Dugdale, Warwick I, 71.
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Source Number : 4d
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Source details : Nichols, History of Leicestershire I, c/i, Bibliography of the Topography of Britain VII, 287.
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Source Number : 4e
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Source details : Stukeley, Itinerary Curiosum (2nd ed.) 110.
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Source Number : 4f
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Source details : Horsley, Britannia Romanum 385, 420.
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Monument Types:
Monument Period Name : Iron Age
Display Date : Iron Age
Monument End Date : 43
Monument Start Date : -800
Monument Type : Settlement
Evidence : Sub Surface Deposit
Monument Period Name : Prehistoric
Display Date : Prehistoric
Monument End Date : 43
Monument Start Date : -500000
Monument Type : Barrow, Inhumation
Evidence : Documentary Evidence
Monument Period Name : Roman
Display Date : C1-C4
Monument End Date : 400
Monument Start Date : 1
Monument Type : Settlement, Town
Evidence : Sub Surface Deposit
Components and Objects:
Related Records from other datasets:
External Cross Reference Source : Scheduled Monument Legacy (County No.)
External Cross Reference Number : LE 136
External Cross Reference Notes :
External Cross Reference Source : National Monuments Record Number
External Cross Reference Number : SP 48 NE 1
External Cross Reference Notes :
Related Warden Records :
Associated Monuments :
Relationship type : General association
Related Activities :
Associated Activities :
Activity type : EXCAVATION
Start Date : 1913-01-01
End Date : 1913-12-31
Associated Activities :
Activity type : EXCAVATION
Start Date : 1948-01-01
End Date : 1948-12-31
Associated Activities :
Activity type : EXCAVATION
Start Date : 1955-01-01
End Date : 1955-12-31
Associated Activities :
Activity type : FIELD OBSERVATION (VISUAL ASSESSMENT)
Start Date : 1960-04-11
End Date : 1960-04-11
Associated Activities :
Activity type : EXCAVATION
Start Date : 1967-01-01
End Date : 1967-12-31
Associated Activities :
Activity type : EXCAVATION
Start Date : 1968-01-01
End Date : 1968-12-31
Associated Activities :
Activity type : FIELD OBSERVATION (VISUAL ASSESSMENT)
Start Date : 1972-04-21
End Date : 1972-04-21