Monument record 1767/3 - Late Romano-British/ Saxon activity on villa site

The villa declined in the late 4th and early 5th centuries, although there was some settlement extending into the Saxon period.

{1} The villa declined in the late 4th and early 5th centuries. The hypocaust was disused and the tessellated pavement was partially removed and tesserae used to seal a group of three infant burials (two neonatal infants) in the abandoned W wing. A further two infant burials were buried in the same room, while another was found in the adjoining room. All of these graves were placed against walls. A further burial, of an adult, was found approximately 5m N of the villa. Where the infants had obviously been buried with care, however, the adult had been disposed of without obvious ceremony. The body appeared to be bent double, while the legs were splayed and bent back at the knees. The left foot was trapped behind the right knee.

Three sunken-featured buildings were built to the east of the villa and were defined by very dark grey-brown silty clay fills, which stood out sharply in the surrounding limestone pavement. All three had stepped-in edges. A discontinuous ridge of limestone blocks was noted c.0.55m inside the edge of one of the buildings. None of the structures contained postholes. Possible floors consisting of roughly laid limestone fragments were noted. It is not possible to date the construction of these buildings precisely, but one contained several sherds of early Saxon pottery.

The structures are atypical. They do not have postholes at the ends of the long axes. Instead, a continuous internal step runs around the buildings’ perimeters. It is possible that these supported sill beams for a timber frame. The ridge of limestone inside one may have been packing for the beam.

There was a range of possible ovens defined by an area of burning containing abundant charcoal, 1.9m long (E-W), 0.8m wide, and up to 0.12m deep. A row of limestone slabs on the S side of the burning and lying against a wall appeared to be the back wall of the ovens. It was not possible to determine exactly how many ovens there were.

<1> OXFORD ARCHAEOLOGICAL UNIT, 1992, Redlands Farm, Stanwick: Site Narrative, p.54-55, 65-6 (checked) (Report). SNN69021.

<2> OXFORD ARCHAEOLOGICAL UNIT, 1992, Redlands Farm, Stanwick, Northamptonshire: Post-Excavation Assessment, (unchecked) (Report). SNN75157.

<3> Parry S., 1993, Raunds Area Survey Report, p.31 (checked) (Draft). SNN1175.

<4> Keevill G.D., 1991, Evaluations and Excavations in Northamptonshire by The Oxford Archaeological Unit, 1989-90 (Ditchford and Stanwick), 23/103 (Article). SNN62113.

Record last edited

Nov 13 2020 10:38AM