More information : TL 932698. Ixworth (Pakenham). Early Roman fort, suggested to have been built after Boudicca's revolt, succeeded by a small town growing up at a road junction and river crossing. Air photographs show the southern angle of the fort and the SW and SE sides, the whole overlain by a road system, buildings, pits and post-holes extending over an area of several acres (1). The existence of the fort (accepted by Frere) has been tested by a trial trench at TL 93146975, revealing ditches and pottery of the 1st century and later (4). Brown (5) reports the uncovering by ploughing and trial digging for ballast of occupation layers with hut sites and roads. (For numerous Roman finds see subsidiary records and 25" Record Sheet. For pottery kilns see 1.11 and 1.12). (1-6)
The fort measures c 193 by 215m and encloses 10 acres (4 ha). Its defences include three ditches. The overlying settlement may owe its existence to an important local pottery industry. (7)
Excavation of fort area revealed multi-phase occupation. Finds, pottery and coins, suggest that the hypothesis of a Post-Boudican campaign as the context of the military campaign is correct. The fort was short lived, being followed by a civilian development in late C1 and C2. (8-9)
The ramains of a small, rectangular sunken timber structure were found, associated with a ditch containing traces of pipe fittings. The structure, which had collapsed or been dismantled at the end of hte forth century AD, was interpreted as a tower used for the storage or supply of water.
Excavations were carried out in advance of the construction of a new bypass across the site. The structure lay on the line of the road. All archaeological features beneath the road, including the remains of the water tower, are presumed to have been destroyed, and it is proposed that scheduling should be revised to exclude the area now occupied by the road. (12) |