More information : (Centred at SY 69009090) Six Roman buildings found in Colliton Park, by Lt. Col Drew and Mr. Collingwood Selby prior to the erection of a new County Hall. Description of a large dwelling-house "to be kept permanently open". Objects discovered included a chair leg of Kimmeridge shale, unusually decorated ware and a cursive inscription on wall plaster. In a footnote, reference is made to ware of the same decoration - grotesque female figure roughly applied, being made in 2nd century. Kilns at Caister - by - Norwich. (1,2)
Excavated by Col. Drew in 1937-38. Building 1, was a dwelling house of some importance. Roughly L-shaped, it conformed to no conventional plan, but in its early stages may have been of Court-yard type; wooden buildings may have existed to the east and north. The western range contained the living rooms and the southern, the bath) suite and service rooms. Walls were of large flints and the roof was stone tiled. Some of the floors were tessellated and there was a hypocaust.
The house is of late 2nd-early 3rd century date. It degenerated and was completely abandoned by the early 4th century.
The well, sunk through solid chalk in the forecourt, was unlined and had a diameter of 3ft 6ins and a depth 32ft 6ins.
Near building 1, a stone lined pit was probably a lime-kiln.
Building 2, little remained to show its purpose; it had two rooms.
Building 3, 250ft. south of building 1, was a large three roomed
building with part flint and part limestone walls. Probably thatched.
Building 4, was of three rooms with well preserved flint and
limestone walls, and roughly floored. Probably a 3rd century building deliberately destroyed in the 4th century.
Building 5, may have been a large aisled barn with internal wooden support.
Building 6, had two tessellated floors, but was severely damaged.
Building 7, may have been a building or an open enclosure. (3-5)
The site has been railed off and a notice declares it to be a
scheduled ancient monument. The flint and limestone walls have been preserved. They average 0.5 metres thick and range from ground level to 1.9 metres in height. The well has a modern protecting superstructure but otherwise is open. Tessellated pavements are covered. Only the remains shown in the plan are extant. The remainder have been built upon. (6)
(SY 68959096) ROMAN BUILDING (R)
(remains of) (NAT) (7)
The preserved remains are correctly portrayed on the O.S. 25" 1971and correspond to the plan shown in authority 3. (8)
Roman town house. Excavated in 1938. Listed Grade I. (9) |