More information : (SY 298 973 (GCE)) Excavation on the Roman fort site at Woodbury (SY 29 NE 39) uncovered quantities of 2nd century and later material, as well as indications of at least one building with hypocaust, tiled roof and opus signinum flooring. Air photography suggested the presence of a courtyard building within the fort site, possibly a mansio. Fieldwalking produced evidence of settlement to the east of the fort. (1)
Further excavation and geophysical investigation was undertaken in 1990 and 1992 as part of work on the Axminster bypass and a water pipeline from Musbury to Axminster. This confimed the presence of a number of stone buildings within the fort enclosure, as well as evidence for civil settlement extending c.225m west of the fort, c.200m east of the fort and at least 100m south of Woodbury Lane; suggesting a settlement c.600m long by 200m wide, encompassing c.12ha. This would make it the second or third largest Roman settlement in Devon. It probably started as a military vicus and flourished from the 2nd to the 4th centuries, or later. In addition to the probable mansio, there is evidence for iron-smithying and pottery manufacture; other finds include various high-quality items. All these factors suggest that the Woodbury settlement may be the Roman road-station of Moridunum.(2)
A rapid examination of air photography (3a) shows the numerous parchmarks of the 'mansio' complex, visible immediately south of Woodbury Farm. (3) |