More information : SE 225993. Part of the Roman extra-mural suburb of Cataractonium (SE 29 NW 3) to the north of the River Swale was excavated in 1970 - 5 (see plan). The line of Dere Street (RR8c) was determined, the earliest road surface lying somewhat east of its later course, with traces of contemporary timber buildings. There was no evidence to suggest the road was earlier than circa 80 AD. The existence of a bridge was indicated by a mass of stone and cobble, probably the packing behind a masonry revetment of which no trace was found. A military enclosure circa 200m. by 90m. consisting of four ditches and a cobble based turf rampart appeared to be a bridgehead defence erected between the evacuation (circa 125 AD) and reoccupation (circa 160AD) of the fort on the south side of the river at Cataractonium. After the bridgehead fortifications had been abandoned in the later Antonine period there was little activity on the site, but by the 4th century houses and other buildings were being constructed to flank the main road. Chief among the latter was a small temple, which produced an assortment of late 4th century artifacts, including half of a life size Castor Ware face mask. At SE 226995 a 20m. length of wall surviving more than a metre high, with associated ditch was revealed. Coins and pottery suggested an early 4th century date. Aligned parallel to the wall were two child burials in stone cists and adjacent to these was an area containing a large amount of nails, cremated bone and pottery. Occupation of the site seems to have continued into the fifth century and beyond, as close to the then ruined temple was found an Anglo Saxon grubenhaus, circa 12 by 8ft, surrounded by post holes. Large quantities of Anglo-Saxon domestic pottery, fragments of a large Buckelurn dated about 500 AD, and a fragment of a decorated bone comb were recovered from it. (1-5)
Scheduleed. (6)
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