Monument record 2777 - Cotterstock Roman villa

Site of a large Roman villa discovered in 1736 when a mosaic was uncovered by ploughing, another mosaic was uncovered in 1798. The coin evidence suggests a 4th century AD date. Air photographs taken in the drought of 1976 show the greater part of the villa in considerable detail as parchmarks. It appears to have been unusually large, over 200m. long and some 60m. wide, and consisted of buildings arranged round two courtyards with other possible buildings to the north. A geophysical survey was carried out in 1992 and limited excavation provided a broad date range for the eastern part of the site, which appeared to have been laid out around four large courtyards

{1} Parchmarks visible in grassland during 1976. Extensive terraces with buildings; the overall plan and internal features of some rooms are visible. Plan. The building is 200m long x 60m wide, unusually large for Britain. Two courtyards are visible; the western area is probably domestic. There are buildings around three sides of a central yard and other structures visible in the central area. Three areas of disturbance are visible on the west range. The site was possibly excavated in 1736 and 1789. The eastern courtyard is larger and it's rooms are bigger. It is partly cut by ditching. There are further possible buildings to the north of the courtyard areas.

{4} Incorrect siting of Cotterstock Roman Villa by O.S.;

{5, 6} Various metal objects of Roman date were found at Cotterstock in 1737. They include a "clavus deauratus" (gilded nail possibly a stud), a pendant, a fibula and other pieces of miscellaneous jewellery, also a bronze stylus. In the possession, 1737, of Rev. J.Hardy, Vicar of Melton Mowbray. (It seems certain from the date of finding and their nature that these objects came from the Villa and account for the name 'Gilded Acre').

{15} It was discovered in 1736 when at least one mosaic pavement and perhaps others, together with pottery, coins, bones and building material, were turned up by ploughing. In 1737 various metal objects including a pendant, a fibula and bronze stilus were found, and in 1798 another mosaic and some other 'pavements' were discovered as well as two 'cisterns or cesspools', 4th-century coins and other objects. Pottery and building material have been found in a nearby ditch and various indeterminate earthworks in the area suggest the existence of buildings

{16} In the C18th traces of what was probably a fine villa were discovered in a field called the Guild or Duilded Acre, but the remains were never seriously excavated. In July 1736 a mosaic pavement was found during ploughing. It was 10ft square and set in the middle of a larger, plainly tessellated floor. At the same time more mosaic appears to have been destroyed without recording. In 1798 another mosaic was found at the same spot. Another square panel (Fig.21). With it were found coins of Agrippa, Vespasian and others, nearly all C4th. Also were found other pavements of more inferior character, two cisterns or cesspools, and other smaller objects.


{18} Two mosaics were uncovered at Cotterstock during the 18th century. The first was found in 1736 when a farmworker reported to his master, Mr Campion, "several little stones which made an uncommon appearance". Mr Campion and the local squire "caused so much of the earth to be cleared from (the area), as to give them a view of a small part of a very elegant piece of work". Another smaller mosaic was found in 1798, along with other features including two wood lined cisterns, wooden piping and other floors referred to as 'inferior and much broken'.

The site was surveyed by the Middle Nene Archaeological Group, and a large building platform running through two fields was discovered which contained 3 distinct areas of disturbed ground. These may relate to either recent (post-medieval?) stone robbing on the site or be the sites of early antiquarian excavations. Up-slope of the building platform were two springs- could these be connected to the water supply of the villa and are they the areas where the wooden cisterns and wooden pipes were recorded in 1789? In the arable field to the west of the building platform, field walking surveys produced evidence of pottery scatters that may account for the south-west end of the villa.

Other work continued on the site in 1992-93 with the undertaking of a very large geophysical survey by Adrian Challands. Adrain produced a very startling plot of the area that matched the markings on the aerial photogrpahs and showed walls and floors. The picture that was beginning to emerge was that of a substantial villa arranged around courtyards, that was much larger than anything that was known in the rest of the Nene Valley.

More work was undertaken in the enclosure ditch running through the site that was dug in c. 1813. The ditch side was cleaned and recorded- lines of walls and surfaces were visible. Eight wall lines were recorded, six separate surfaces were also identifiedincluding what could be seen as internal floors and a possible roadway that ran along the front and south-east side of the villa.
The villa was set around a series of courtyards that stretched for over 260m in length and were 70m wide.

{20} 1798 excavations recovered mosaic pavements & pits & 2 cisterns or cesspools; plans & diagram of mosaic; Building stone and Romano-British pot sherds were recovered from the eastern range of the villa.

{21} Plans and engravings of mosaics;

{25} Villa was excavated July 1736 after a mosaic floor was discovered by the servant of Mr Campion who was ploughing upon Guilded Acre headland; it was part of a floor 20ft square; detailed description.

{26} Correspondence of an C18th antiquarian concerning the discovery of a pavement (possibly Gale Horseley). A portion of the pavement was "taken up" by a certain person of great distinction.

{27} Sites of 1798 pavement in area centred TL 0330 9050. This agrees satisfactorily with the description of the stie given above[by VCH], except that it is now, at least, in Glapthorn parish.

{28} Mr J. Richardson, the farmer of Cotterstock Lodge pointed out 'Gilded Acre' as the field centred at TL 03189102, and also showed me a collection of RB pottery from the spoil of a ditch recut in 1943. The find-spot was TL 03269107. Subsquent investigation by Mr. Richardson produced further fragments of RB pottery in a burnt layer at a depth of 0.75m. in the ditch bank at the same spot. In the ditch at TL 03269107 there is a concentration of stone and sherds and it looks as if the ditch has cut through part of a building: while in the field to the east, adjacent to that point, is a raised disturbed area suggestive of underlying building remains. There is another disturbed area suggesting underlying building remains at TL 03209101. At the published site, TL 03459062, there are only some natural outcropping of a limestone spur. At the time of investigation this area was under plough, but no sherds were seen and it seems certain that the O.S. siting there is incorrect.

<1> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1977, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1976, p.211-12 (Report). SNN723.

<2> 1737, The Mercury and Herald, (unchecked) (Article). SNN54623.

<3> 1737, The Daily Gazetteer, (unchecked) (Article). SNN54624.

<4> 1737, The Gentleman's Magazine (1737), p.256 (unchecked) (Article). SNN55869.

<5> 1737, Northampton Antiquarian Society, MS. Minutes, 9.2.1737 in Vol III, p.97 (Soc. Of Ants) (Article). SNN55885.

<6> Northampton Antiquarian Society, Classification in Topo Index of Drawings in the Minutes, S.V. Cotterstock. (Soc. of Ants) (Topographical Drawings). SNN55886.

<7> GOUGH, 1806?, ADD. TO CAMDEN II, p.282+284 (unchecked) (Document). SNN38932.

<8> 1812, The Gentleman's Magazine (1812), p.33-40 (unchecked) (Article). SNN55849.

<9> Artis E.T., 1828, The Durobrivae of Antoninus, Plates 59+60 (unchecked) (Article). SNN55884.

<10> 1885, The Surtees Society, p.33-40 (unchecked) (Series). SNN54626.

<11> Upex S.G., 1977, The Roman Villa at Cotterstock, p.24-5 (unchecked) (Article). SNN108593.

<12> FOWLER, TESSELATED PAVEMENTS, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN55888.

<13> WOOLASTON, DRAWINGS, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN55889.

<14> Unknown, COTTERSTOCK ROMAN VILLA PLANS, (unchecked) (Drawing). SNN57858.

<15> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1982, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.187 (part checked) (Series). SNN77382.

<16> Ryland, W, Adkins, D, and Serjeantson, R M, 1902, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.192-93 (unchecked) (Series). SNN100368.

<17> 1932, Fieldnames Overlay (TL09SW), (part checked) (Map). SNN55887.

<18> Upex, S., 2004, Cotterstock- A 'lost' villa rediscovered, P. 513 (Article). SNN104668.

<19> Upex S.G., 2001, The Roman Villa at Cotterstock, Northamptonshire, p. 57-91 (Article). SNN102502.

<20> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, TL09SW7 (unchecked) (Index). SNN443.

<21> Northampton Museum Records, Dryden: Hepplewhite Cabinet Drawer 8 (part checked) (Uncertain). SNN126.

<22> Northamptonshire SMR Collection of Aerial Photographs, Used with NMR & CUCAP collections (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN104822.

<23> Northampton Museum Records, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN126.

<24> Hall D.N., 1960-1999, Rockingham Forest Project: Archaeological Sites Recorded by David Hall, DNH Database: Cotterstock/Site 3 (unchecked) (Database). SNN102279.

<25> STEELE, 1750, Collections For Northants. (Manuscript). SNN39603.

<26> Dryden H.E.L., 1842-1895, Dryden Collection, General Drawers (part checked) (Archive). SNN115.

<27> Annotated Record Map, Corr 6" (R W Brown, 1949) (Map). SNN112961.

<28> Baird, J., 1970, Field investigators comments, F1 JB 04-JUN-70 (Notes). SNN110341.

<29> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1975, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p. 32/Site 2 (Series). SNN77379.

<30> Scott, E., 1993, A gazetteer of Roman villas in Britain, p. 142/NH29 (Monograph). SNN110345.

<31> Burnham, B C, Keppie, L J F, Esmonde Cleary, A S, Hassall, M W C, and Tomlin, R S O, 1993, Roman Britain in 1992, p. 293 (Notes). SNN113735.

<32> Historic England, Cotterstock Roman Villa (Archive). SNN115505.

Record last edited

Feb 3 2025 7:26PM