| Print

ASHTON

ABOUT THIS MONUMENT

+ / -

EH Visitor Information
Related Monuments
Related Text
Investigation History

More Pictures
Modern Map
Old Map
Aerial Photograph

Monument Types
Sources
Thesaurus
Description

DESCRIPTION

+ / -

Cropmarks of a ring ditch and enclosures indicate the site of an Iron Age settlement, a coin of Tasciovanus was found in the area. Excavations uncovered the remains of a Roman settlement dated from the 1st century AD to the late 4th century. The areas uncovered seem to been industrial in nature; iron working furnaces and pottery kilns have been excavated. In a well a lead tank inscribed with a chi-rho was found and the presence of a late 4th century inhumation cemetery may indicate a christian site. Interpreted as a small town or villa estate. Scheduled Monument.

DETAIL

+ / -

MORE INFORMATION & SOURCES

+ / -

A Romano British settlement of some seventy to eighty acres at Oundle (1). Coins were found when the railway station was built (2); coins and pottery have been found in vast quantities in areas centred TL 048890, 048893, 046893. Rectangular enclosures are visible as crop marks on St Joseph air photographs at TL 046892 (9). Excavations in 1971 in area TL 048893 uncovered a pit dug for gravel containing much rubbish including building material, a hippo sandal and over two hundred fragments of Samian. Also a cobbled working floor with building material but no structure. There was evidence of iron smelting. Finds from the site as a whole date from the 1st to the 4th century and include a medallion possibly from a ceremonial head-dress (6). Iron Age and Medieval pottery came from TL 047894 (3). Many surface finds but no evidence on the ground of the enclosures (10). (1-10)

Excavations of the site between 1974 and 1977 have revealed that the site covers more than 30ha between the river Nene and the Chesterton - Irchester road (RR 570). In 1974 the junction between a Roman road leading to the river and a side street was discovered. In the angle between the roads a building 8.25m wide had been erected over an early 2nd century ditch. This building contained the remains of five furnaces and a stone-lined tank, together with considerable quantities of iron-working remains including a smith's hammer and anvil. In 1976 a well associated with this building was emptied and a cylindrical lead tank was found. It weighed over 3cwt (152kg) and bore a Chi-Rho monogram. Further excavation of the industrial building in 1977 revealed earlier timber buildings. A sandpit south of the main excavations produced many late 4th century coins. (11-13)

RCHME suggests three separate areas of settlement centred on TL 046892, TL 048892 and TL 048890. (14)

During the 1976 excavations a bronze coin of Tasciovanus, minted at Verulamium, of a type previously unrecorded was discovered. Further references to finds and excavation summaries. Air photographs (NCAU) show cropmarks extending NW of the site, including a ring ditch and enclosures (TL 043897). (15)

AP of large Roman settlement at (TL 048889). (16)

Excavations in 1978. Two small pottery kilns and further evidence of extensive Roman occupation were located. (17)

In June 1982, two large areas were opened up for archaeological examination. In one area, a metalled road, resurfaced several times, was exposed along with structures on either side of the street. At least one side street was identified in this area. One of the structures excavated was an iron workshop probably dating to the late Roman period. The second area exposed another road, ditches and gullies of the 1st century or later and part of what may be a late Roman boundary wall. There were the remains of a wooden building which gave way to a cemetery by the late Roman period. Later (Medieval) agricultural activity is indicated by the presence of ridge and furrow. (18)

Excavation in 1983 revealed Roman agricultural enclosures on the margins of the settlement. (19)

Excavation of the cemetery revealed in 1982 recovered pottery suggesting a Late Roman date for the graves. Variation in the grave types include stone grave lining and a wooden coffin. No grave goods were recovered. (20)

A hearth was discovered in 1979, heavily built with limestone blocks and including two vents. A horse burial was uncovered 20m to the south of the Roman road. (21)

NH 6 Listed as the site of a Roman small town or villa estate. (22)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) edited by Warwick Rodwell and Trevor Rowley 1975 The "small towns" of Roman Britain : papers presented to a conference, Oxford 1975

British Archaeological Report (BAR) British series1 (1974) - 15 Page(s)59

( 2) General reference

Murray's Handbook Northants 1876 Page(s)46

( 3) Bulletin of the Northamptonshire Federation of Archaeological Societies

2, 1967 Page(s)17

( 4) Bulletin of the Northamptonshire Federation of Archaeological Societies

3, 1969 Page(s)17

( 5) Bulletin of the Northamptonshire Federation of Archaeological Societies

4, 1970 Page(s)12

( 6) Bulletin of the Northamptonshire Federation of Archaeological Societies

5, 1971 Page(s)6

( 7) Bulletin of the Northamptonshire Federation of Archaeological Societies

7, 1972 Page(s)12

( 8) Northamptonshire Archaeological Society Northamptonshire archaeology

(J A Halmond) 8, 1973 Page(s)5

( 9) Aerial photograph

JK St Joseph 2 B 15 26.6.59

(10) Field Investigators Comments

F1 FDC 06-NOV-69

(11) Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies Britannia : a journal of Romano-British and kindred studies

(D R Wilson) 6, 1975 Page(s)253

(12) Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies Britannia : a journal of Romano-British and kindred studies

(S S Frere) 8, 1977 Page(s)399

(13) Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies Britannia : a journal of Romano-British and kindred studies

9, 1978 Page(s)442

(14) Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments, England 1975 An inventory of the historical monuments in the County of Northampton. Volume I: archaeological sites in north-east Northamptonshire

Page(s)11

(15) Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England 1982 An inventory of the historical monuments in the County of the Northampton. Volume IV: archaeological sites in south-west Northamptonshire

Monuments (2-4) Addenda Page(s)185

(15a) Nene Valley Research Committee Durobrivae : a review of Nene Valley Archaeology

3, 1975 Page(s)12-15

(15b) Nene Valley Research Committee Durobrivae : a review of Nene Valley Archaeology

5, 1977 Page(s)6-11

(15c) Numismatic chronicle

5, 1945 Page(s)193-5

(15d) by Norman Shiel 1977 The episode of Carausius and Allectus : the literary and numismatic evidence

British Archaeological Report (BAR) British series1 (1974) - 40 Page(s)5

(15e) Northamptonshire Archaeological Society Northamptonshire archaeology

10, 1975 Page(s)149

(15f) Northamptonshire Archaeological Society Northamptonshire archaeology

12, 1977 Page(s)223

(16) edited by P J Fowler 1975 Recent work in rural archaeology

(17) Nene Valley Research Committee Durobrivae : a review of Nene Valley Archaeology

7, 1979 Page(s)18-20

(18) Council for British Archaeology Group 9: South Midlands archaeology newsletter

13, 1983 Page(s)18, 20

(19) Council for British Archaeology Group 9: South Midlands archaeology newsletter

14, 1984 Page(s)24

(20) Nene Valley Research Committee Durobrivae : a review of Nene Valley Archaeology

(B Dix) 9, 1984 Page(s)26-7

(21) Nene Valley Research Committee Durobrivae : a review of Nene Valley Archaeology

(J Hadman) 9, 1984 Page(s)28-30

(22) by Eleanor Scott 1993 A gazetteer of Roman villas in Britain

Leicester archaeology monographsNo.1 (1993) - no.1 Page(s)140

RELATED MONUMENTS

+ / -

Monument Name/No

Resources

Description

MONUMENT NO. 965256
ASHTON

Monument Pictures
Monument Maps
Monument Investigation
Monument Sources
EH Visitor Information

Cropmarks of ring ditches and part of the settlement and small town of Ashton (see TL 08 NW 35).

ASHTON BLOOMERY
OUNDLE

Monument Pictures
Monument Maps
Monument Investigation
Monument Sources
EH Visitor Information

A site described as a Roman iron blacksmiths workshop located in a field on the south west side of Station Road, Oundle. Evidence for the site is from...

MONUMENT TYPES

+ / -

COMMENTS

+ / -

Please help us keep our information accurate let us know if you see any errors on this page.

Further information about monuments may be obtained by contacting Archive Services, through the Historic England website.

HE Archives
HE Prints
Historic England
Heritage Gateway
National Heritage List for England