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CAISTOR ROMAN TOWN

ALTERNATIVE NAME:

BANNOVALIUM

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A small fortified Roman town. A few fragments of wall survive within the modern town.

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[Centred: TA 11680130] Roman Town [G.S.]. (1)

A small fortified Roman town. Date and status was not determined by excavation (for the Ministry of Works) at the south-west corner in 1959, but a provisional circuit of the wall based on field work suggests an irregular polygon, about 850 ft. by 525 ft. which is probably correct to within 25 ft. The layout was clearly determined by configuration of the ground and geological strata. Earlier accounts, in part conjectural, have proposed a settlement varying considerably in size, plan and character, see AO/LP/62/90, 95, 96. Finds include 1st to 5th century coins, mostly late 4th century pottery, and a remarkable lead casket inscribed CVNOBARRVS FECIT VIVAS, in three pieces, part of which is now in the British Museum, part in Lincoln Museum. Extant remains are the north bastion or east tower of the north gateway at [TA 11720137;] a short stretch of west wall confirmed by further excavation in 1961 at[TA 11580131;] and a shorter stretch and bastion on the south at [TA 11660121.] The south bastion, some 2 ft. of which was removed in 1958 when an adjoining house was being extended, is scheduled.The remains of a possible second south bastion are in a garden about 100 ft. west of the first. (2-4)

All the finds of the 1959 M.O.W. excavation are held by Lincoln Museum but have not yet been classified. The portion of casket is labelled "found 1863"; accession number 49.30 (5)

The wall course was perambulated and found to be as described above. Extant portions surveyed at 1/2500. See GPs AO/63/19/4 & 5 - North Bastion; 6 - foundation remains; 7 - South Bastion. (6)

'BANNOVALIUM' could refer to either Caistor or Horncastle (TF 26 NE 1) both of which were small Roman towns. (7)

Some open areas within the Roman town scheduled No 148 (See plan) (8)

TA 1168 0130 Church Street. C W Phillips reported a "mass of masonry sticking up in the gutter which looks very Roman. It contains much tile and seems to have no relationship with the road, gutter, drains or churchyard wall. If Roman, it belongs to some building inside the town walls". (9)

Summary of excavated defences. (10)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" map, 1956

( 2) General reference

Antiquaries Journal, 1960, vol 40, p 175-87, plans etc (P Rahtz)

( 2a) General reference

Itinerary Curiosum, 1724, p 96-7 (Stukeley)

( 2b) General reference

Archaeological Journal 1935, vol 91 p 129-133 (C W Phillips)

( 3) General reference

Antiquaries Journal, 1947, vol 103, p 23-25 (C F C Hawkes)

( 4) General reference

Ancient Monuments of England and Wales, 1961, p 64 (Ministry of Works)

( 5) General reference

Field Investigator, FDC, 29-JUL-1963

( 6) General reference

Field Investigator, FRH, 09-OCT-1963

( 7) General reference

Rivet A L F and Smith C, Place Names of Roman Britain, 1979, p 256-266

( 8) General reference

DOE (IAM) Record Form November/December, 1974, plan (J S Johnson)

(9) General reference

Lincoln Museum records, per P Everson

(10) General reference

BAR British Series, no. 126, Crickmore J, Romano-British Urban Defences, 1984, p 108

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