Monument record 1641/5 - Roman Cemetery, Irchester Roman Town

A Roman inhumation cemetery consisting of three to four hundred individual burials was found during ironstone digging at Irchester in 1873-4. Three stone coffins and one of lead were present. A hoard of 4th century bronze vessels was also found. Summary from record 1641/5/0: NB. The find has been re-located to Irchester country park.

{1}Romano-British cemetery of 300-400 inhumations & 4 coffins; revealed by Butlin & Bevan Co. of Wellingborough during ironstone digging which probably destroyed only south-east part of cemetery; finds looked at by Matthew Bigge of London who was landowners agent; landowner Mr. Arkwright; streaks of mortar & building stone found at depth of c.1ft were left in section by diggers; contractors found "….large blocks of concrete" which were tipped back into pit when backfilling; possibly mortuary structures identified; inhumations were found at c.3ft depth & cut into ironstone; some graves were lined roughly & covered with limestone slabs forming cists; all were aligned east-west in parallel rows; 2 large plain stone coffins were found at c.5-8ft depth; also small lead coffin of child with decoration covering whole of lid; extent of cemetery was roughly defined; coffins measured & illustrated by H.Dryden in 1876;,

{2}Possible coffins now at Chester House; include stone lid & broken head end of coffin

{6}References to Roman lead coffin;

{10} Discovered during nineteenth century quarrying Baker records some 300-400 skeletons being
recovered including 3 stone and one lead coffin, in addition to a significant late fourth to early fifth
century hoard of bowls and other metal containers. Only one significant cemetery has been recorded at Irchester, some 500m east of the walled area though others have been suggested from early references to the southwest. The extent of evaluation around the fringes of the settlement would indicate that this may be the only substantial cemetery for the town although it is possible one lay to the south or even across the river to the north in as yet uninvestigated areas. The size of the cemetery would suggest it was certainly the town’s main place of burial, but Baker’s (1875) account seems to imply that it only contained inhumations. If true, it would suggest that the quarried area only included the later (later second-fourth/early fifth century) burials and an earlier cremation cemetery may await discovery. Large cemeteries of this kind often display drift through time and it is quite possible that earlier burials may lie to the west outside the quarried area.

{13) In 1927 some hundreds of inhumations found on the well known cemetery site in ironstone workings. Several stone coffins were included, one of which contained a leaden coffin. Some of the graves were lined with hexagonal stone (Colly Weston) slates.

{14} The "hoard of late 4th century bronze vessels" used as evidence of continuing prosperity in the Adjacent Roman town

{15} An extensive range of aerial photographs were viewed as part of Bedford Borough NMP project but no features were visible at the location of the Roman cemetery.

{16} A coffin lid of Roman date, found in the cemetery west [east?] of the Roman town was ploughed and since relocated to Irchester country park. Now the stone measures 138cm in length, but it could well have been longer originally since the set of holes designed to take metal clamps to fasten the lid onto the body are not centrally set. It could have been something like 2m or more in length. The lid is made of Barnack stone, as are so many Roman coffins from the east of England. Taken together with the other lead and stone coffins from the area, as well as the important hoard of bronze vessels now in Northampton Museum, it is one more piece of evidence for the wealth of Irchester and the surrounding area in the later Roman period.

{19} Some doubt is shown in the VCH (1, 1902, 183) as to whether the hoard of bronze vessels is Roman or Saxon. This is clarified by Hawkes ('Aspects of Archaeology' 1951, p 189) who says 'we can now see that those vessels are products of the old native bronze industry of Britain, in the late Roman-British and even the sub-Roman, period.......'

<1> 1875, Associated Architectural Societies Reports, p.88-116(checked) (Series). SNN44074.

<2> Woodfield P., 1978, Roman Architectural Masonry From Northamptonshire, 13/85 (checked) (Article). SNN101140.

<3> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1979, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.95 site 7 (checked) (Series). SNN77380.

<4> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP96NW3 (checked) (Index). SNN443.

<5> DRYDEN H., DRYDEN MSS, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN58223.

<6> 1977, British Archaeological Reports (BAR 38), No.142 (unchecked) (Series). SNN39352.

<7> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1982, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.200 (checked) (Series). SNN77382.

<8> Roach Smith C., Collectanea Antiqua, p.192 + plate 19A (unchecked) (Series). SNN58226.

<9> QUARRIES IN THE NORTHAMPTON SAND BED, p.39 (unchecked) (Chapter). SNN55291.

<10> Taylor J., 2000, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Irchester (Roman), Section 3.5.2 Cemetery (unchecked) (Digital archive). SNN100749.

<11> Ryland, W, Adkins, D, and Serjeantson, R M, 1902, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.183 (checked) (Series). SNN100368.

<12> Ordnance Survey, 1955, 1950s/60s Ordnance Survey 6 Inch Mapping Series (SP44NE), OS 1959 (Map). SNN61128.

<13> 1927, The Journal of Roman Studies, Page 201 (Journal). SNN28420.

<14> 1967, The Archaeological Journal (124), P. 100,116 (Journal). SNN32057.

<15> 2018-2019, RCHME/EH/HE Aerial Photographers comment, Bedford Borough NMP project (Note). SNN111578.

<16> Brown AE, 1990-91, A Roman Coffin Lid, p.104 (checked) (Note). SNN38643.

<17> , 1880, First Edition OS 6 Inch Mapping Series? (Map). SNN44148.

<18> Carr, D., 2011, Irchester Ironstone Quarries: Key Dates and Events, (unchecked) (Book). SNN108267.

<19> Historic England, Unknown, Oral information, correspondence (not archived) or staff comments, WWGS - L 13.9.68 (Oral Report). SNN111577.

Record last edited

Feb 10 2025 7:19PM