More information : [Name TF 01833293] ROMANO-BRITISH SETTLEMENT [GS] (Site of) (1)
[Area 'B' - TF 01813292] Foundations and building debris, including tesserae, a great many Roman coins, a variety of urns, pieces of copper, trinkets, rings, and bone pins were dug over an area of probably 40 acres in a valley on both sides of the Humby/Sapperton parish boundary Line in 1823. Black ash found in a great quantity suggests that the place was destroyed by fire.
Site visited in July 1930 The area was under cultivation, and the part of the site west of the ditch, which was under standing wheat, was not examined. Some Castor ware, one small samian sherd, a quantity of coarse Roman pottery and some of local manufacture was seen on the east side of the drain between the two parishes. In the more southerly of the two fields examined there is broken stone, probably the remains of wall footings, and in both fields are slight
traces of banks which may be connected with the Roman site.
Workmen cleaning the ditch about 1910 found a form of brick arch at "A" TF 01933265 .
Other Roman finds recorded at various times since 1821 from Humby and Sapperton, probably from, or connected with, this site are coins, from Nerva to Urbs Roma, pottery, pins, and a gilt and enamel square perfume box (cf. one from Aldborough).
Also, from Little Humby [name TF 004328], a small tub-shaped bronze box, possibly for a nest of weights. Similar boxes in the British Museum are regarded as Medieval.
Some of the finds are in Grantham Museum. (2-7)
The entire area is under standing corn. The field edges were perambulated. Grey, coarse and samian pottery was seen, also tile and probable building stone. (8)
TF 019329 Excavations carried out at Sapperton in 1974 by Mr Brian Simmons revealed two 4th century aisled buildings, with a stone courtyard between, overlying, earlier stone buildings. Brightly coloured wall plaster was also discovered. Considerable evidence of iron-smelting, including the remains of five furnaces were found.
Traces of occupation to as far back as 200 BC are indicated by finds from the site. (9-11)
'CAUSENNIS' refers to either the Roman settlement at Sapperton or the one at Saltersford (see SK 93 SW 10). (12)
Two coins of Antoninus Pius (AD 138-161) found. (13)
Excavations continued to 1988, summary reports. (14-19)
Small quantity of late LaTene pottery and two Iron Age coins from excavations. (20)
[TF 0190 3266] Neolithic stone axe, Great Langdale type found in 1972. (21)
The foundations of the Roman buildings excavated in 1974, described by authorities 9-11, were exposed and visible on air photographs, taken during their excavation. The foundations of two rectangular buildings, were mapped at TF 0177 3296 and TF 0178 3295. A road, running parallel to King Street Roman road, identified during the excavation as associated with the buildings, was seen as a cropmark bank, 130m in length, north of the buildings, centred at TF 0174 3305. Parallel boundary ditches, 160m in length, occur to the north of these features, at TF 0164 3311, and may be associated with this Roman settlement.
Other features to the south-east of the buildings may form part of the Roman settlement or earlier Iron Age settlement. They consist of a double ditched trackway, at TF 0187 3297, with a large curvilinear ditched enclosure, 80m by 78m, at TF 0189 3285.
(Morph No. LI.826.9.1-8)
This description is based on data from the RCHME MORPH2 database.
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