Monument record 631/3 - Borough Hill Roman Villa

Site of a Roman Villa excavated between 1823 and 1852. Tesselated pavements, Mosaic, Hypocausts, painted wall plaster and window glass found. A single Saxon burial with accompanying spearhead was found in one of the rooms.

{1} Roman villa, first excavated by Baker in 1823 and then by Botfield in 1852. Botfield re-excavated the area baker had dug and then extended the work to reveal other parts of the building, but only a small part of the complete villa was exposed and little can be concluded from the plan made at the time (included). The building was constructed of sandstone rubble and there was ample evidence of tiled roofs. Many of the walls were decorated with painted plaster and a number of mosaic pavements, mostly in a very fragmentary condition, were discovered. There was clear evidence that the building was not all of one date, and both Baker and Botfield noted that one of the rooms had been adapted to form a corridor. Botfield also claimed that the most northerly room appeared to be a later addition. The numerous finds included large quantities of pottery of early 2nd to 4th century date. Some of this was of Nene Valley type and there was also some samian ware. Among other objects were a marble moulding, miscellaneous ironwork such as an axe, keys, knives, buckles and part of a fibula, some pieces of bronze largely unidentifiable but including a razor and a bracelet, tesserae, hypocaust tiles, flue and roof tiles, painted wall-plaster, a lead weight, a gaming object, two stone spindle whorls, part of a glass bottle, fragments of window glass, coal and pieces of antler, and at least 18 coins, mostly of late 3rd to mid 4th century date.

Botfield's excavations also included the discovery of a stone-lined well immediately south west of the villa, which contained in its upper levels, a skeleton with bronze 'accoutrements' as well as an iron fibula and a hook.

To the south of the villa, at the rear of the south rampart of the northern fort, Baker found a length of wall running roughly parallel to the rampart. Beyond was a deposit of burnt earth, charred wood, a knife and a socket of a spear, bones of horses, cows, sheep, deer and pigs and a large quantity of Roman pottery. The wall may have been the boundary of the villa complex with a rubbish dump outside it.

{2}Situated at the sw part of the small hillfort are buried remains of building complex orientated north-south; partial excn in C19th revealed structural remains of RB date including stone walls & roof tiles & painted wall plaster & mosaic & tessellated pavements; at south end of complex a baths suite was identified; finds included pottery of C2nd-4th AD & coins of late C3rd to mid C4th; represents remains of RB villa;

{4}General finds from site, Daventry School

{5} An Anglo-Saxon spearhead was found at Borough Hill Camp - may have come from this site.

{6} Tesselated pavements, well preserved hypocausts, painted wall plaster, window glass, Samian, Castor and other pottery, coin of Constantine, many small finds.

{7} A block of buildings 70ft wide by 145ft long has been uncovered. This seems to have contained the baths of the villa; foundations were noticed to branch off from it, for the most part in a westerly direction, and it is obvious that it is only a portion of the wider whole. At least two of the rooms had mosaics. One mosaic discovered and removed in 1823 had a design 9ft square, consisting of a central circle fitted into two interlacing squares and framed in a larger square, the ornament in each case being guilloche. The other had an outer border of Vitruvian scroll and an inner one of guilloche; the centre was destroyed. The minor objects found included painted wall plaster, Samian, Castor and other wares, pewter and iron articles including some curious keys, fragments of local marble, window glass and glass vessels, and a few late coins. Plan.

{8} Finds suggestive of a building of a substantial nature

{9} Section of edge moulding of architectural slab, presumably carrying an inscription. Found 'at side of house with flue tile'. Drawing.

{11} Two Samian sherds, two pieces of coarse greyware and 162 Roman coins were brought into Northampton Museum. The coins date from an AS of Vespasian to two coins of the House of Theodosius (R: SALVS REIPVBLICAE) and included a dupondius of Caracalla.

{12} List and description of all coins found. It is thought that the coins come from near the villa site.

{16} Visit 29/4/1986. Substantial and irregular earthworks on the site of the villa. Porbably mainly spoil heaps from the excavations but could also be part of the villa.

{26} There are no visible remains of this building. The site now falls on a golf course. Northampton Museum hold a large representative collection of the excavated finds.

[SMR note 11/10/2011: all find linked to Baker's excavations but some may have come from Botfield's dig - need to go back to sources to check.]

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1981, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.66/Site 18 (checked) (Series). SNN77381.

<2> English Heritage, 1994, English Heritage Scheduling Notification, (part checked) (Report). SNN1342.

<3> BROWN A.E., 1977, The Roman Barrow Cemetery on Borough Hill, Daventry, p.189 (checked) (Article). SNN15315.

<4> Northampton Museum Topographical Index, (unchecked) (Index). SNN1470.

<5> Edgar W., 1923, Borough Hill & Its History, p.40+pl.8 (unchecked) (Book). SNN47010.

<6> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP56SE1 (checked) (Index). SNN443.

<7> Ryland, W, Adkins, D, and Serjeantson, R M, 1902, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.195 (checked) (Series). SNN100368.

<8> Moore W.R.G., 1968, Roman Settlement in the Upper and Middle Nene Valley, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN15188.

<9> Woodfield P., 1978, Roman Architectural Masonry From Northamptonshire, 13/85 (checked) (Article). SNN101140.

<10> 1956, Chronicle And Echo, (unchecked) (Newspaper cuttings). SNN15195.

<11> Curteis M, 1993-4, Daventry (Borough Hill), 25/185 (checked) (Note). SNN104162.

<12> Curteis M., 1993, Finds from Borough Hill, Daventry, (checked) (Report). SNN74115.

<13> British Museum Accession Register, (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN10055.

<14> Northampton Museum Records, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN126.

<16> FOARD G.R., 1986, Oral Report to SMR, VISIT 29/4 (Oral Report). SNN50981.

<17> 1928, OS 6 INCH MAP, (unchecked) (Map). SNN15184.

<18> Roach Smith C., 1848, Collectanea Antiqua, 1/113 (unchecked) (Series). SNN15180.

<19> The Gentleman's Magazine, Sept. 1827 p.209-11 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN61226.

<20> BROWN R.W., 1932, Journal of Northants Natural History Society and Field Club, 26/177 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN72983.

<21> WHITWELL J.B., 1982, The Coritani: Some Aspects of the Iron Age Tribe and the Roman Civitas, p.219 (unchecked) (Monograph). SNN58533.

<22> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP56SE22 (checked) (Index). SNN443.

<23> 1845, Journal of The British Archaeological Association (Vol.1), p.245 (checked) (Journal). SNN10775.

<24> Baker G., 1830, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.344-6 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77327.

<25> BOTFIELD B., 1853, Some Account of The Roman Villa and The Discoveries Made on The Borough Hill, pp.383-95 (unchecked) (Article). SNN1850.

<26> Baird, J, 1969, Field Investigators Comments, F1 JB 13-FEB-69 (Note). SNN111452.

<27> RCHME, Undated, RCHME Inventory: Northamptonshire II (Central), 889238 (Archive). SNN112900.

Record last edited

Feb 10 2025 8:14PM