Monument record 2868/1 - Romano-Celtic Temples, Collyweston Great Wood

Excavation in 1953-4 of a Romano-British temple site after it had been partially bulldozed. There were several periods of construction including hexagonal and octagonal stone buildings. The latter has an opus signinum floor. Paved areas, a hearth and burnt areas were also present. There were probable additional structures nearby. HER note 28/03/2014: finds not yet entered

{1} A group of dry-stone walled buildings, including two rectangular, one circular, one octagonal and one hexagonal, was excavated after partial destruction. Pottery and worked stone in the surrounding area indicated other buildings. The pottery found ranged from the 1st to the early 4th centuries.

{2} Excavation in 1953-4 of a Romano-British temple site. There were several periods of construction including hexagonal and octagonal stone buildings. The latter has an opus signinum floor. Paved areas, a hearth and burnt areas were also present. There were probable additional structures nearby. The site was partly bulldozed for an RAF development. Finds included animal bones, oyster shells, burnt stones, Samian pot sherds, C1st-C4th potsherds, iron slag, worked stone and inscribed stone.

{3} A group of curious stone structures situated in Collyweston Great Wood was excavated after a bulldozer had left little more than foundations. The structures consisted mainly of dry stone foundations (see plan). Building A did not seem to be dwelling-place, despite a hearth in its SW corner; it contained a little pottery and a few animal bones and oyster shells.
Circle C contained much pottery and many burnt patches and blackened stones; it was superseded by Building B, apparently rectangular, of which only the NW corner survived. There was also an hexagonal building with paved recess, and a paved surround; an octagonal building with opus signinum floor and paved area on its N side as if for an altar or statue and contained much Samian ware; a circular area (F) surrounded by a wall and, outside it, a paved path; an irregularly-shaped paved area (E) with a hearth and much iron slag in the paving interstices; and an area of fallen stones (D) which may be the remains of another polygonal structure.
Pottery and worked stone over a large part of the cleared area indicated other buildings which could not be excavated. Much pottery was found, seemingly of 1st - early 4th c, with more of late 2nd c than of other periods. From the hexagon, a damaged inscribed stone. It is difficult to explain this site as other than a ritual one.
The finds are retained by the Marquess of Exeter.

Site name: Collyweston Great Wood

{4/6/10/11} Similar buildings at Brigstock and Thistleton were probably of a local Coritanian type of rather primitive form. Site now occupied by an RAF Establishment, no further information. Mentioned as a rural shrine this RB temple group contained three buildings; a hexagon; an octagon; and a circular structure; which were all probably shrines. Listed, as temple, by Lewis.

(5) Building A: The east corner and parts of the south east wall of this rectangular structure (23 ft by 46 ft) were excavated. The corner was in good condition. The lowest courses of the rest of the north east and south west walls were visible for most of their lengths. Little, however, remained of the north west wall. The walls were made of unmortated stones, the outer and inner faces being dressed. The south east and presumably the north west walls had 3 inch interior and exterior offsets, with an overall width of 2 ft 9 ins. The north east and probably the south west walls had exterior offsets only. The lowest course consisted of stones measuring about 1ft by 1ft. 9 ins, laid on clay without footings, and had sunk slightly into the clay. 13ft south of the north east wall was a jumble of stone perhaps indicating a transverse wall, but this is uncertain since only one stone remained on the presumed alignment within the building. There was a clay floor at offset level in the east corner. A roughly half-oval area against the inside of the south ease wall was loosely covered with limestone paving and may have been associated with an entrance in the south east wall unless it represents part of an earlier circular structure.

At the south west end of the building was a raised area of dark soil and burnt clay, probably debris from what was evidently a hearth or oven. This last consisted of two parallel lines of stones, set in clay, with two large stones beneath. North west of this feature was a small hole filled with finely divided charcoal, set about with stones, perhaps some kind of flue. The bases of two pots, one inverted, were found near the south east end of the hearth debris. A dressed stone, perhaps a rough pillar capital, was found near the east corner of the building, Two late medieval sherds were found above the building and a crudely worked bone pin came from the hearth in the west corner.

Building B: Little remained of the rectangular Building B (about 28ft by 85ft). The broken length of the north west wall showed only as foundations as did most of the north east wall, of which however, about 8ft of the lowest course of drystone walling survived. No traces could be found of the other walls although an indication of foundations, some 65ft south west of the north east wall, may have been a transverse wall.

South and east of the north east wall lay areas of stone slabs, perhaps paving, while within the building itself were a number of small patches of reddened sandstone. There was however, no indication of their extent or purpose.

Circle C appeared to be below Building B and consisted of a partly robbed foundation of stones (many of which had been burnt), 42ft in diameter.

Stone Area D: South and east of the north east wall lay areas of stone slabs, perhaps paving, while within the building itself were a number of small patches of reddened sandstone. There was however, no indication of their extent or purpose.

The Hexagon: This remarkable building consisted of a six-sided enclosure, five sides measuring between 13ft and 14ft each and the south-eastern side 12ft 6ins (all outside measurements). The walls which had internal offsets were of varying width, approximately 2ft 3ins overall. Along the insides .of Walls 1, 2 and 3 was an inserted stone shelf or bench, placed asymmetrically about the axis of the entrance, two courses high and 1.5ft wide, its outer edge resting upon the wall offsets. A small buttress stood outside Wall 2. In the middle of the shelf, against WalI 1, opposite the entrance, was a niche or recess, 3ft long by 1ft wide. The niche was floored with one large and two smaller stones. The entrance, in Wall 4, was 4ft 9in wide across the outside and splayed to 5ft 9in across the inside. The threshold consisted of a single line of stones. The walls were of limestone, with indications in a few places of mortar in the vertical joints, but without mortar above or below the stones. There were no footings, the lowest courses resting on the clay subsoil. The outer stones of Wall 3 had sunk, as had those of Wall 2, probably into an earlier pit or gulley. At one place in Wall 2 limeastone slabs (Collyweston slates) were set four deep above the third course.

The interior was floored, just above offset level, with loosely laid limestone slabs set on what appeared to be a clay floor, the eastern limit of which showed as a dark line against the natural clay below it; it did not run under the stone shelf, with which it was apparently contemporary. Near the north west corner internally was a patch of reddened stones, evidently a hearth. Beneath the central stone in the niche was a shallow depression containing charcoal and a few fragments of calcined bone.

Immediately outside wall 6 was a line of pitched stones, beyond which was a 1ft band of undressed footings, retained in position by another line of pitched stones, set edgewise in echelon. Beyond these again was a 4ft band of undressed footings. This arrangement presumably extended around the outside of wall 5, which was not fully cleared.

It would appear that the hexagon was surrounded by a band of stone footings, not necessarily covered with slabs, but acting as a hard ambulatory. Although the surface seemed rough and uneven, no doubt it was originally more regular. The band of pitched stones outside wall 6 may even have been intended to act as a retainer for a paved path, laid on the footings, of which traces were seen outside Wall 1.

An abraded and indeterminate samian sherd, found beneath the shelf inside Wall 2, and the two sherds of colour-coated ware with gladiators en barbotine, sealed by a floor slab at the west side, show that the floor and shelf cannot be earlier than the late 2nd century. A coarse brown cooking pot from outside wall 2 at floor level suggests that the building continued in use until the early 4th century at least. The only small find was a bronze needle found sticking-out between two stones on Wall 3.

The Octagon: The south west wall of this building was no more than 10 ft north east of the edge of the footings of the surround of the Hexagon. Its eight walls each measured 12ft to 13ft in length by 2ft in width. In only one, Wall c, did the stones rise above the lowest course. This wall was comparatively intact, as were the bottom courses of Walls E and F. Both faces of Wall B were visible for a short length. But only the outside face of Wall D remained. Wall A was indicated by a few stones along its inner face. Odd stones here and there were all that remained of Walls G and H.

Wall C possessed a layer of pitched footings upon which were set the large stones of the lowest course. Occasional stones of the second course were still standing. There appeared to be no offset to this wall, which was somewhat out of true with the otherwise regular outline of the building, giving a slightly lopsided appearance to the eastern side. Several iron nails were found in the outer interstices of Wall E, perhaps indicating that weather-boarding had been nailed to the outside of the walls.

The whole of the interior, after the mass of fallen stones and debris had been cleared, was found to be floored with opus signinum, just above the level of the footings, the floor itself being set upon natural clay without any other foundations. Across the corner of Walls G and H were two rough lines of stones, which may possibly have been part of an internal structure.

Along the inside of Wall C and extending inwards for about 4ft, lay a number of large stones, forming a rough rectangle. The largest was 4ft 6in long, 1 ft 6in broad and 6in thick. This stone was part of what perhaps had been a reused dedication it had a border 1.5in wide, with apparent traces of lettering upon it. Another stone was half a limestone millstone of about 2ft 2in diameter originally. All the stones had been set into the opus signinum floor. In the corner of Walls Bad n C was part of a roofing tile below which was dark soil, some charcoal and fragments of animal bone and stones.

Trial trenches dug outside the walls revealed no sign of an ambulatory or outer wall, but two stones jutting out north west from Wall H may have been part of an adjacent building.

A fair amount of pottery was found. Much of a vessel with a very indistinct stamp which has been read as SECCO (Antonine), was found on the opus signinum floor; from below one of the stones a body sherd was probably of the 2nd century and part of a flagon could be of the 3rd century; another 2nd century sherd came from the bottom of the opus signinum floor. The remainder of the pottery was not earlier than late 3rd century going on to the late 4th century. A quantity of brown calcite-gritted ware was also found both on the floor and below the stones.

Stone Area D: This consisted of a roughly circular area of stones, some of which had been burnt. It may well have been the floor of a circular or polygonal building. A fair amount of associated pottery was found, including a body sherd, bearing part of a human figure and a sea-horse, dating from the late 2nd century. The coarse pottery ranged from the 3rd to the 4th centuries.

Floor E: This consisted of an irregular area of limestone paving measuring 14ft by 12ft. It is possible that the floor was originally rectangular. Near the middle was a patch of reddened sandstone, beneath which the clay also showed signs of burning, indicating a probable hearth, perhaps for iron smelting, since large quantities of iron slag and clinker were found among the stoles which formed the floor. The pottery of which not much was found, included 2nd and 3rd century sherds. Fragments of a well-made bronze mirror, with a row of perforations round the inside of the periphery, occurred north west of and close to the edge of the floor, at stone level. An iron object, perhaps part of a window grille or a top from an iron paling, as well as an iron pin, came from the make-up of the floor. No signs of post holes could be seen outside the perimeter of the floor.

Floor F: This was a perfectly circular area 32ft in diameter, surrounded by a wall 1ft wide, mostly of single stones. The interior was loosely paved with the usual limestone slabs and in the middle was a roughly circular patch, 4ft in diameter, set with rounded stones, such as were found elserwhere on the site. Outside the narrow wall was apparently a path, 7ft 6ins wide paved with smaller limestone slabs. A gap, 20ft wide, occurred in the wall and perimeter path on the east side; this may have been removed during excavation or it may have been an entrance.

The wall consisted of two courses only, the upper at floor level and the lower embedded in the clay. It may never have carried a superstructure, but merely have acted as a retainer for the stone floor. No post holes were observed around it. A section across the floor revealed only a few flecks of charcoal beneath the central stones. There were no signs of burning.

Pottery found in and among the floor stones included a pinched-neck flagon and a mortarium of late 3rd to early 4th century date. The wheel-like disc also came from this floor.

An aerial photo taken about the site has revealed a dark line running north north east about 45ft west of the hexagon and rather more than 200ft long. This may have been a robbed out wall or ditch enclosing the whole site.
There were also signs of occupation and structures to the south and east of the buildings, covering about 5.5 acres.

{9} The site has been built over, but the approximate position was indicated by Mr Lilley (at TF 0073 0058).

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1975, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.30/Site 6 (unchecked) (Series). SNN77379.

<2> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, TF00SW2 (checked) (Index). SNN443.

<3> 1955, THE JOURNAL OF ROMAN STUDIES, 45/133 + 134 (Journal). SNN5302.

<4> Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, 1967, The Journal of Roman Studies, 57/241 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN29213.

<5> 1965, The Archaeological Journal (122), p.52-72 (part checked) (Journal). SNN5304.

<6> LEWIS M.J.T., 1965, Romano-British Temples, pp. 78-85, 141, 188 (Book). SNN28164.

<7> Brindle, T., 2008, Northamptonshire (Draft) (Chapter). SNN106263.

<8> Jarrett, R P, 1993, MPP Field Investigators comments (Notes). SNN111317.

<9> RIVET A.L.F., 1954, Field Investigator's Comments (Notes). SNN114912.

<10> Baird, J, 1969, Field Investigators Comments, 22-JAN-69 (Note). SNN111452.

<11> Todd M., 1973, The Coritani Peoples of Roman Britain, P. 97, 102 (Book). SNN102972.

<12> Historic England, Romano-Celtic temples, Collyweston Great Wood (Archive). SNN116428.

Record last edited

Feb 10 2025 7:22PM