Monument record 3268/1 - Romano-British Pottery Production

Romano-British settlement with discovered in 1968 with pottery kilns dating to the late C1st and buildings of C2nd/C3rd.

{1} Four late 1st century pottery kilns were identified, also several 2nd-3rd century circular and rectangular buildings, one with wall plaster. The centre of the excavation is SP9065 5880.

{2} SP906587. During modern housing development a late 1st century occupation site was discovered, with at least three kilns of the updraught type, producing large, coarseware vessels. In addition three rectangular and two circular stone buildings were found. One of the former had painted wall plaster.

{3} Several Romano-British rectangular and circular buildings have been recorded (2nd and 3rd centuries). One building had a quantity of good painted plaster. Useful samples of pottery were recovered from four late 1st century kilns. All the kilns were of the type with kilnbars.

{4} At least three late C1st AD Romano-British updraught kilns producing large coarse-ware vessels. Also five stone buildings of C3rd AD, three were rectangular and two circular. One of the buildings had painted wall plaster and 3 coins: a silver coin of Posthumus (AD258-263) and 2 radiate crown type.

{7} The centre of the excavation area was indicated by D Hall at SP 9065 5880. The site is now covered by modern housing development.

{8-10} This area was assessed as part of the Bedford Borough NMP project. Sited within a block and medieval and/or post-medieval ridge and furrow cultivation earthworks, no features as described above were visible on any of the available historic aerial photographs taken between 1946 and 1986. Aerial photographs taken in 1986 show that a modern housing development had been built upon the site.

<1> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP95NW9 (checked) (Index). SNN443.

<2> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1979, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p. 3 site 10 (checked) (Series). SNN77380.

<3> Brown, A.E. (Ed.), 1970, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1969 (Roman), 4/6 (checked) (Article). SNN100535.

<4> HALL D.N.; HUTCHINGS J.B., 1972, The Distribution of Archaeological Sites Between The Nene and The Ouse Valleys, 7/13 (checked) (Article). SNN35780.

<5> 1969, The Journal of Roman Studies, 59/219-220 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN34712.

<6> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p. 115 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<7> Stevens, P A, 1974, Field Investigator's Comments, F1 PAS 25-MAR-1974 (Notes). SNN113167.

<8> Royal Air Force, Vertical Aerial Photography, RAF/3G/TUD/UK/118 RVp1 6074 03-APR-1946 (Photographs). SNN104890.

<9> Royal Air Force, Vertical Aerial Photography, RAF/541/341 RP 3138 15-AUG-1949 (Photographs). SNN104890.

<10> Bedford Borough Council HER, 1986, Georeferenced composite layer of vertical aerial photographs taken in 1986. Held by Bedford Borough Council HER (Archive). SNN115229.

<11> Bedford Borough Council HER, Undated, Bedford Borough NMP, MD003015 (Archive). SNN113023.

Record last edited

Jun 22 2023 2:28PM