More information : (SP 52514201) Roman Building (GS) (site of). (1)
Thenford: There appears to have been a "villa" half a mile E of
the village in fields called Flaxlands and Stonegreen on the top
of a slope which falls away steeply westwards and immediately
south (sic) of the walled garden of Thenford House (ie SP
525417). The surface is still strewn with brick and pottery and
in ploughing along the top of a pavement several "fireplaces" are
said to have been found. (2)
Two fields called Stonegreen and Flaxlands about half a mile E
of Thenford, abound in vestigia of Roman occupation. Foundations,
tesserae, and coins are frequently found, the latter from
Tetricus to Constans. Portions of hypocausts, very disturbed,
were found by Baker. (3)
"Skeletons have been found in Mr Severne's garden, on the north
(sic) side of Stone Green" (The Severne family being owners of
Thenford House - Baker). Two sources therefore point to the site
being south of the walled garden; positioning north of the garden
relies on a Correspondent's 6" by R J C Atkinson who makes
reference to VCH but gives no supporting authority for his
siting). (4)
Northampton Museum hold flue tile from this site. (5)
Mr D J Barrett, 6 Field View, Marston St Lawrence, a local
amateur archaeologist indicated the site of the Ro building at SP
52524158 and said that over the last ten years he has found much
RB occupation material from the area indicated on the OS 6". The
finds, all in his possession, include colour coated, grey,
gritted, samian and mortarium sherds, tile, wall plaster, 3rd c
coins etc. Finds made during field investigation confirm the
above area. (6)
Field name survey (1932) and Enclosure field names (1765) (both
held by CRO Northampton) made no mention of "Flaxlands" and
"Stoneygreen". (7)
A Roman villa near Thenford (SP 525415) has been excavated by the
Oxford University Archaeological Society under the direction of
Ian Sanders. A fine mosaic was discovered in a corridor; adjacent
to it is a room with a hypocaust and a simple three room bath
suite had been added to the N end of the building. To the south
is an earlier building of unknown extent. There is evidence of
5th century occupation in the form of a courtyard laid over the
levelled remains of the buildings (8). Mr Sanders has not yet had
time to work on all the material. Plan supplied. (8-9)
Brief reports of containing excavation. (10-11)
Iron Age and Roman settlement and Roman villa (SP 52524158)
lie E of the village, on Marlstone Rock at 130 m. above OD.
Excavations between 1971 and 1973 revealed a villa
with four main phases of occupation. The earliest
phase was an Iron Age ditch which was overlaid by a large stone
building, possibly an early villa or agricultural building. This
structure later had a room and a corridor added to it. Around AD 300
the main villa was erected to the N of the earlier building. It
consisted of a range of six rooms one of which contained a fine
mosaic. The villa was later extended to the S to meet the earlier
building and another whole building was later demolished and
levelled to make a courtyard. The mosaic is preserved in Thenford
House.
The villa lies on the W edge of a large area of Roman occupation
debris, some 10 hectares in extent, including a dense spread of
pottery and tiles (centred SP 526416). (12)
Listed in gazetteer of Roman villas. (13)
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