Monument record 1756/2 - Ringstead Roman Villa

A small villa which was partly excavated prior to gravel extraction in 1971. The earliest phase appears to have been a circular timber building which was then replaced by one with stone foundations and a tessellated floor, which was later incorporated into a villa. An extensive stone scatter some 120m to the east of the villa probably represents further buildings and yards. A segment of a possible Jupiter Column was found in this area. Finds evidence suggests a 2nd to 4th century date.

{1} In 1971, a drainage trench dug prior to gravel extraction revealed part of previously unrecorded Roman structure. A substantial Roman settlement of at least 7.5ha was thereafter identified at the edge of the floodplain.The threatened area was excavated during the late autumn-early winter of 1971-2. The small excavation revealed three main phases of activity. During the earliest phase the area was used as a working area, possibly when the buildings to the north-east were constructed. A circular timber building was subsequently erected on the site and in the later stages was replaced by another circular building in stone and provided with a tessellated floor. This then appears to have been incorporated into the main range of the villa.Decorated wall plaster was recovered, but few other finds to denote wealth.

While the quarry destroyed substantial parts of the settlement, remains have been preserved in a small rectangular field to the north of the Ringstead to Great Addington Road, while more extensive areas survive to the south. These areas were fieldwalked and supplementary evidence provided by cropmarks and geophysical survey.

{2} Magnetometer survey was carried out in the small field to the north of the modern road and produced only weak anomalies which were difficult to interpret. Two enclosures, one circular and the other rectangular, are suggested. This area also had one of the greatest concentrations of Roman pottery, this contained a high proportion of later pottery, suggesting a C2nd to C4th date. Only light scatters of early Roman pottery found. Metal detector survey tends to support this later emphasis with only 4 second-century coins out of a total of 109.

{3} SP978749; diameter of the column was 0.61m; it was made from oolitic limestone and had ben buried in a shallow pit; located at the Northampton Museum; decorated with scales; found on the east side of the villa site.

{4} Gravel quarry threat; Iron Age and Roman ditches; pits included painted wall plaster; SP 976748.

{5} SP 97747485. The circular stone building appears to date to the 3rd and 4th centuries. It replaced a circular wooden structure, and its foundations cut through deposits of lime, clay etc suggestive
of a "builder's yard". A large quantity to roof tiles was found. The excavation took place in the west corner of a road junction at SP 976748, and presumably the site extends under the road and adjacent fields to the east and south east. Ploughing to the south east has exposed evidence of lime burning and kilns; possibly of Roman date.

{7} Extensive stone scatter, representing possible buildings and yards connected to the Roman villa, found during quarry operations. Decorated stone segment from a possible Jupiter column was an important find from this area.

{8} Cropmark; ring ditch; NCC Aerial Photograph:SP9671/001.

{9} Find made in quarry; a Roman column shaft was found in a depression in the gravel in September 1975.

{10} Roman coins were discovered during metal detecting; identified by Mark Curteis of Northampton Museum.

{12} A number of Romano-British coins and other items were found during metal detecting and identified by Mark Curteis of Northampton Museum.

{17} A copper alloy stud and six coins ranging from 3 gallic antoniniani to a Constantinopolis issue (330-337) were found by N. Howe in 1993.

{18} Metal detector survey tends to support a later date with only four C2nd coins from a total of 109. Issues of the Gallic Empire predominate (48 coins), from which high point steady loss continues to the end of the C4th with four coins of the House of Theodosius.

<1> Jackson, D., 1980, Roman Buildings at Ringstead, Northants (Article). SNN73204.

<2> Parry S. et al, 2006, Raunds Area Survey: An Archaeological Study of The Landscape of Raunds, Northamptonshire 1985-94, p.195-199 (part checked) (Book). SNN105780.

<3> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1982, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.192/Site 4 (unchecked) (Series). SNN77382.

<4> 1972, Britannia, 3/322 (Journal). SNN47361.

<5> JACKSON D., 1975, LETTER & PLANS, 15/4/1975 (Uncertain). SNN59112.

<6> Woodfield P., 1978, Roman Architectural Masonry From Northamptonshire, 13/82 (Article). SNN101140.

<7> Parry S., 1993, Raunds Area Survey Report, p.144 (unchecked) (Draft). SNN1175.

<8> Northamptonshire SMR Collection of Aerial Photographs, (unchecked) (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN104822.

<9> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1976, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1975, 11/193 (Journal). SNN169.

<10> CURTEIS M, 1994, SMR REPORT FORM, (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN49395.

<11> CADMAN G.E., 1998, SMR REPORT FORM, (unchecked) (Notes). SNN49635.

<12> Brown, A E (ed), 1972, Northamptonshire Archaeology, 7/32 (Journal). SNN25623.

<13> CURTEIS M, 1995, SMR REPORT FORM, (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN49234.

<14> Rowley R.T.; Fowler W.J. (Editors), 1972, CBA Group 9 Newsletter: South Midlands Archaeology (2), 2/14 (Newsletter). SNN10022.

<15> Northampton Museum Records, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN126.

<16> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP97SE35 (unchecked) (Index). SNN443.

<17> Curteis M, 1993-4, Raunds, P187 (Note). SNN104180.

<18> Scott, E., 1993, A gazetteer of Roman villas in Britain, p. 147, NH 103 (Monograph). SNN110345.

Record last edited

Feb 10 2025 7:19PM