Monument record 9191/1/1 - Mid C3rd Winged Corridor Villa Building, Whitehall Farm

{1} The excavations of 2000 revealed the foundations of a series of rooms associated with a wing of the villa range recorded last year. These findings confirm the existence of a winged-corridor villa which is of accord with other sites discovered in the county. It appears that most of the main villa structure has been much reduced by being 'robbed out' in the past and through agricultural degradation. However it was possible to discern an element of sophistication in the floor plan as an apsidal chamber had been included in the suite of rooms.
The absence of coherent structural detail for most of villa building has meant that interpretation of the remains is not as straight forward as it could possibly have been. Residual surface finds indicate that C3rd and C4th foundation layers survive but that they are heavily disturbed and need to be examined in greater detail to elucidate the finer points of the architectural plan and chronology. However it is possible to confirm that the building is a winged corridor villa of modest size and pretension. The central range appears to have been constructed in the mid to late C2nd and presumably was subsequently embellished with the addition of mosaics and a fronting corridor with additional wing pavilions during the second half of the C4th.
The villa was built along a north east and south west axis and faced south east. The archaeological evidence suggests a two storied stone structure (30m x 10m) which could have contained between twenty or thirty rooms. At the eastern end of the main range was an apsidal/semi-circluar shaped room. The position of several of the robber trenches for the corridor and wing pavilions have been located.

{2} The site was totally reorganised in the late 3rd century AD with the construction of a large 2 hectare bank and ditched compound within which a winged corridor villa and bath house were erected. The earlier round houses were maintained and utilised during a transition period before they were demolished at some time in the mid 4th century AD, which also impacted on the inland field system of the mixed farming regime that were abandoned and replaced by drove roads and stock yards associated with sheep rearing and wool production of the villa complex.
By the mid 5th century AD eastern elements of the main villa range were demolished to provide a levelled metalled surface or terrace for a timber phase of building situated in the old villa courtyard.

<1> Young S. et al, 2000 (circa), Whitehall Farm Roman Villa and Landscape Project, (part checked) (Website). SNN107418.

<2> Young S., 2012, Project Design for Continuation of the Research Excavation & Archaeological Investigation at Whitehall Farm, Stowe Hill, Nether Heyford, Northamptonshire, p.6 (part checked) (Project Design). SNN109244.

<3> Adams, N., Whitehall Roman Villa and Landscape Project, (checked) (Leaflet). SNN107539.

<4> Young S., 2012, Project Design for Continuation of the Research Excavation & Archaeological Investigation at Whitehall Farm, Stowe Hill, Nether Heyford, Northamptonshire, p.3-5 (part checked) (Project Design). SNN109244.

<5> MASTERS P., 2007, Gradiometer Survey of Land at Whitehall Roman Villa, Nether Heyford, Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Report). SNN109245.

<6> Goodburn D., 2012, The Whitehall Farm Roman Villa Structural Timbers, (unchecked) (Report). SNN109248.

<7> Curteis M., 2007, Whitehall Farm Roman Villa: Coin Analysis Report, (unchecked) (Report). SNN109247.

<8> Blinkhorn P.W., 2006, Anglo-Saxon Pottery from the Whitehall Farm Roman Villa, (unchecked) (Report). SNN109246.

Record last edited

Jan 21 2019 12:12PM