Monument record 4946/3 - Romano-British Cemetery, Duston

Cemetery associated with the small-town at Duston. Many of the burials, both cremation and inhumation, were discovered during ironstone quarrying in the late 19th and early 20th century and no records of the exact location and arrangement of the these finds survive, but the cemetery apparently had an area 'exceeding nine acres'.

{1} The cemetery had an area exceeding 9 acres. Found on portion of heath called Arbour Field.

{2} Wetton had noted in 1849 the discovery of four burials in Duston and a letter in the Dryden collection records a further 26 inhumations and Roman finds. Sharp discussed the evidence from the early years of quarrying which apparently all came from north of the Weedon Road, between it and the Duston Road. He noted the 'remains of very many skeletons, and indications of probably a larger number of burials by cremation'. No records of the exact location and arrangements of these finds survive, all in any case being brought to light through quarrying, but the cemetery apparently had an area 'exceeding nine acres'. Sharp described in one instance 'three grave-like excavations' which had been 'arranged upon a semi-radial plan'. They were 'strewn with ashes' and contained 'burnt stones, fragments of what I will provisionally call the Romano-British pottery and a cluster of imitative coins called minimi'. There is, however, no conclusive evidence of burial in these pits, although they were clearly in the cemetery area.

The relationship of Roman and Anglo-Saxon cemeteries at Duston is obviously of significance; refers to the find of a Roman lead coffin in the Saxon cemetery. In 1908 a stone sarcophagus containing a skeleton but no other finds was discovered in Duston 'on the site of the Roman villa'. The coffin was 'surrounded by roughly built stone walls, 4 feet thick, of white limestone, which seem to formed some kind of building or chamber, the shape of which has not yet been determined'. There is large number of complete pottery from Duston in Northampton Museum, many of them 'miniatures' and the excellent state of preservation suggests a large proportion were grave goods.

{3} Sharp discussed evidence of cemetery from early years of quarrying between Weedon Road and Duston Road. He noted 'remains of very many skeletons and indications of probably a larger number of burials by cremation'.

{4} Evidence that Duston acted as a significant centre for burial is plentiful if not well recorded. Pretty (1849) noted four inhumations during work on the Turnpike road and a letter in the Dryden collection subsequently records a further 26 skeletons orientated in the same direction. Sharp (1871) later summarising discoveries from the quarry noted the remains of very many skeletons as well as indications of a larger number of cremations (of which many of the complete pots in the Northampton museum collection may be examples). There is no information on the precise location or layout of these interments but they clearly constituted at least one significant cemetery in the angle between the Weedon and Duston roads. Furthermore the presence of large numbers of both cremations and inhumations indicates that the cemetery, unusually for excavated examples from Northamptonshire Roman towns, was in use through both the earlier and later Roman periods. There are also good reasons to think that the later Roman inhumation cemetery at least contained burials of some status with examples interred in both a stone sarcophagus (e.g. Markham 1909, 252-4) and lead coffin, the former probably lying within a mausoleum with walls some 4ft thick. This cemetery, though poorly located probably lay towards the northern or north eastern extremity of the settlement as few reliable finds of definitive settlement evidence (rather than occasional single finds) have been recovered outside the quarry north of Duston Road.

The excavations and watching briefs of the 1970s further indicate that this was not the only focus for burial at Duston. A watching brief on a series of rectilinear compounds and enclosures thought to lie at the southern periphery of the site recorded a group of at least 12 inhumations aligned west south west - east north east alongside a major ditched boundary. Although poorly dated (one had a 3rd-4th century coin in its mouth) these late Roman burials may well have been part of a larger but now mostly truncated or destroyed cemetery on the southern edge of the town. Several were decapitated, a tradition seen at other towns within the region and particularly associated with so-called boundary burials found both around and within settlements.

{5} Letter in Dryden Collection of 16th January 1864 records the discovery of a further 26 orientated skeletons as well as Roman coins and pottery.

{7}"....4 internments discovered in lowering turnpike road; fragments of Samian ware & black urns & skeletons were found....";,

<1> GEORGE T.J., 1904, Journal of Northants Natural History Society and Field Club, p.296-8 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN22242.

<2> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1985, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.255-56 (checked) (Series). SNN77383.

<3> Sharp S., 1871, On Roman Remains Found at Duston, Northamptonshire, p.3 (unchecked) (Article). SNN46438.

<4> Taylor J., 2002, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Duston (Roman), Section 3.5.2 Cemetery (Report). SNN103115.

<5> Fletcher J., 1864, Dryden Collection, Parish Files: 16th Jan (unchecked) (Letter). SNN46439.

<6> 1876, Associated Architectural Societies Reports, p.125 (unchecked) (Series). SNN59372.

<7> Wetton, 1849, Guidebook to Northampton and its Vicinity, p.243 (unchecked) (Book). SNN1032.

<8> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP76SW4 (unchecked) (Index). SNN443.

<9> PRETTY, 1849, GUIDE TO NORTHAMPTON, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN59402.

Record last edited

Nov 13 2025 9:59AM