Monument record 2409 - Ashton Roman Town

Ashton is one of the 14 nucleated settlements incorporated within the current survey that acted as local or regional centres in the Roman period. Located roughly midway between Durobrivae, the largest small town in Roman Britain, and Titchmarsh, Ashton is one of the larger small towns (c.15ha) and probably acted as a local market and craft centre especially related to smithing of iron from a number of sources to the north west. Extensive excavation in the southern part of the town indicates that it may have developed in the mid-first century AD around a road crossing of the Nene possibly focused on an existing pre-conquest site close to the river. Like a number of the Nene valley towns Ashton may have owed its existence to the strategic significance of its location on the road and river networks and the wealth of its surrounding agricultural and industrial landscapes. Ashton’s layout seems to owe much to local considerations of access to the surrounding agricultural landscape and a series of major ditched enclosures identifiable from aerial photography but largely undated. Well established by the second century AD, the majority of the known settlement lay to the west of the through route to the river but field walking (S Young pers. comm.) suggests extensive but otherwise undefined settlement to the south east as well. A reasonable amount can be said about the town’s historical development close to the main through road but less so elsewhere. The road route and surrounding enclosures seem to have been laid out in the mid-first century AD, although it is possible that an earlier late Iron Age focus existed outside the excavations, perhaps to the west. During the late first to early second century the route was formalised and a few additional buildings of uncertain function constructed close to its frontage. During the course of the mid-second and third centuries, however, the construction of a series of stone founded strip buildings gradually filled the road frontage with simple shops, workshops and houses particularly associated with iron smithing. Towards the southern fringe of the settlement a series of enclosures probably defined small agricultural plots, quarrying areas and stock yards. During the fourth century the roadside plots became important foci for a range of inhumation based burial traditions both in boundary locations and in a formal cemetery. Evidence from the latter, alongside the discovery of an inscribed lead tank with a chi-rho monogram may indicate that the town was home to a significant Christian community in the later fourth century. Clearly occupied up to the end of the fourth or even early fifth century the town did not survive in any recognisable form into the Early-Middle Saxon period when occupation locally may have transferred to the western side of the river.

{1} Romano-British settlement of some 70 - 80 acres.

{2} 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.

{4} Excavations in 1978. Two small pottery kilns and further evidence of extensive Roman occupation were located.

{6} The overall impression currently is of an asymmetric plan similar to a number of the towns in the county and at Ashton it may have related to the desire to link the complex of enclosures visible on air photographs to the west of the settlement with the main road running towards a river crossing. During the mid first century the broad road line was defined and occupation had commenced. It is impossible to be sure from the excavated area whether the site was already developing into a larger nucleated settlement or represents no more than a small cluster of farms.
Of all the Roman small towns in Northamptonshire, Ashton (along with Towcester) has received the most excavation. Approximately a seventh of the likely area of the town has been investigated either through extensive excavation along the A605 or through evaluations in Oundle station yard. Together they provide one of the more comprehensive sets of information about the layout and architecture of a core area within a small town in the region. Given this, it is very unfortunate that as yet the main excavations at Ashton remain unpublished although interim statements and draft texts on the structural sequence were available to this study.
Evidence for craft production and the study of trade is abundant at Ashton within the area of the A605 excavations. The absence of published syntheses of the evidence, however, currently limits what can be said. Small-scale pottery production towards the western fringe of the town closest to the river in the second century is indicated by comments from Hartshorne in the nineteenth century (Hartshorne 1847).
The large coin, pottery (c.3 tonnes) and metalwork assemblages from the town have yet to be subject to synthetic comparative reports. They do, however, provide the opportunity for extremely valuable research on the economy of small towns, especially given the longevity of occupation within the excavated area and the suggestion that it covers several different zones of activity across the town. At present, it seems that the very large but conservative pottery assemblages from the town may suggest that it acted as a market for the exchange of local and regional products but not others.

{7} Observation was carried out in connection with road improvements to the A605, indicating settlement along the length of the modern road.

{8} Aerial photography 1982, Roman Town detected as faint cropmark.

{9} Aerial photography 1981, Roman Town detected as cropmark.

{22-24} 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.

{25} AP of large Roman settlement at (TL 048889).

{26} 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. 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.

{31} NH 6 Listed as the site of a Roman small town or villa estate.

{33} 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.

{34} Excavation in 1983 revealed Roman agricultural enclosures on the margins of the settlement.

{36} RCHME suggests three separate areas of settlement centred on TL 046892, TL 048892 and TL 048890.

{37} 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).

{38} Coins were found when the railway station was built.

{41} Part of the Roman town and ring ditches on AP in 1979 (TL 048891).

{42} Contains two illustrated examples of Roman pottery from Ashton.

<1> edited by Warwick Rodwell and Trevor Rowley, 1975, The "small towns" of Roman Britain : papers presented to a conference, Oxford 1975, 59 (unchecked) (Series). SNN60717.

<2> Brown, A E (ed), 1972, Bulletin of the Northamptonshire Federation of Archaeological Societies, 12 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN58344.

<3> Brown, AE (Ed), 1973, Northamptonshire Archaeology, 5 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN14319.

<4> Nene Valley Research Committee, 1979, Durobrivae: A Review of Nene Valley Archaeology (Vol.7), p. 18-20 (Journal). SNN6287.

<5> Young S., 1994, Fieldwalking Survey of Romano-British Sites, (checked) (Gazetteer). SNN54726.

<6> Taylor J., 2002, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Ashton (Roman), Section 3.3 &4 (unchecked) (Digital archive). SNN103116.

<7> Dix B.(ed), 1986-7, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1985-6, p153 Ashton (unchecked) (Report). SNN100334.

<8> Foard G.; Richardson D., 1983, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1982 (Aerial Photography), p181 Ashton (unchecked) (Notes). SNN100412.

<9> 1982, Aerial Photography in Northamptonshire 1981, p107 Ashton (unchecked) (Journal). SNN104561.

<11> Taylor J., 1996, Iron Age and Roman Landscapes in The East Midlands: A Case Study in Integrated Survey, (unchecked) (Thesis). SNN108195.

<12> Crossley D., 1998, Monuments Protection Programme: Iron and Steel Industries (Site Assessments), 1.9 (unchecked) (Report). SNN106761.

<13> Crossley D., 1998, Monuments Protection Programme: Iron and Steel Industries (Step 3, Appendix 3, Handlist of Assessed Sites), 1.9 p.35 (unchecked) (Report). SNN106760.

<14> Brindle, T., 2008, Northamptonshire (Draft), (unchecked) (Chapter). SNN106263.

<16> Taylor J., 2002, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Ashton (Roman), (unchecked) (Report). SNN106654.

<17> Brown, A.E. (Ed.), 1967, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1966/67 (Roman), p. 17 (Article). SNN58197.

<18> Brown A.E. (Ed.), 1969, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1967/68 (Roman), p. 17 (Article). SNN58198.

<19> Brown, A.E. (Ed.), 1970, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1969 (Roman), p. 12 (Article). SNN100535.

<20> Aerial Photograph, JK St Joseph 2 B 15 26.6.59 (Photographs). SNN112974.

<21> Colquhoun, FD, 1969, Field investigators comments, F1 FDC 06-NOV-69 (Notes). SNN112950.

<22> Wilson, D R, 1975, Roman Britain in 1974: Sites explored, p. 253 (Note). SNN115967.

<23> Frere, SS, 1977, Roman Britain in 1976: Sites explored, p. 399 (Note). SNN115968.

<24> Britannia, 1978, Roman Britain in 1977: Sites explored, p. 442 (Note). SNN115969.

<25> Fowler, P J, 1975, Recent Work in Rural Archaeology (Book). SNN115970.

<26> Nene Valley Research Committee, 1984, Durobrivae: A Review of Nene Valley Archaeology (Vol.9), p. 28-30 (Journal). SNN103400.

<27> Wild, J.P. (ed.), 1975, Durobrivae: A Review of Nene Valley Archaeology (Vol.3) (Journal). SNN59033.

<28> Nene Valley Research Committee, 1977, Durobrivae: A Review of Nene Valley Archaeology (Vol.5) (Journal). SNN45237.

<29> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1975, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1974, p. 149 (Report). SNN41605.

<30> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1977, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1976, p. 223 (Report). SNN723.

<31> Scott, E., 1993, A gazetteer of Roman villas in Britain, p. 140 (Monograph). SNN110345.

<32> Shiel, N, 1977, The Episode of Carausius and Allectus: the Literary and Numismatic Evidence, 40/p. 5 (Series). SNN12192.

<33> Hall, D N, 1983, South Midlands Archaeology: CBA Group 9 Newsletter (13), p. 18, 20 (Newsletter). SNN48541.

<34> 1984, South Midlands Archaeology: CBA Group 9 Newsletter (6), p. 24 (Notes). SNN39996.

<35> 1945, The Numismatic Chronicle (Series 1), p. 193-5 (Series). SNN20738.

<36> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1975, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p. 11 (Series). SNN77379.

<37> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1982, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p. 185/Sites 2-4 (Addenda) (Series). SNN77382.

<38> Murray J., 1870s, Handbook for Travellers in Northamptonshire & Rutland, 1876, p. 46 (Handbook). SNN47573.

<39> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1971, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1970, p. 6 (Journal). SNN100525.

<40> RCHME, Undated, RCHME Inventory: Northamptonshire I (North-East), 890177 (Archive). SNN113295.

<41> Brown AE, 1980, Aerial Photography 1980, p. 179 (Notes). SNN104579.

<42> Howe, MD, Perrin, JR, and Mackreth, DF, Roman pottery from the Nene Valley: A Guide, p. 24-5 (Book). SNN69370.

Record last edited

Jan 31 2025 3:49PM