Monument record 2119/2 - Romano-Celtic temple-mausoleum and later industrial activity, Priors Hall

Archaeological excavation prior to development identified a late 2nd-3rd century temple-mausoleum which was repurposed in the 3rd-4th centuries to house a complex of tile and pottery kilns, located in a wider area of industry including further pottery kilns, quarries and a lime kiln.

{1} Excavation of a 1.3ha site revealed a stone-built Romano-Celtic temple-mausoleum, probably associated with an earlier phase of the neighbouring villa. It comprised a single-celled square building, the cella, set within a rectangular courtyard bounded by stone walls that formed a square precinct measuring c14m by 17m. At some point in the later 3rd or 4th century, the building was chosen as a suitable site for a tilery, with two kilns being constructed, one of which used the shell of the cella. The former precinct walls were robbed for metalling of an adjacent track and three of the four cella walls were levelled. In addtion to the two tile kilns, a pottery kiln was built outside the western wall of the former cella and all three were powered by two large stoke pits. Over ten tonnes of waste bricks and tiles were encountered over the course of the excavation; the waste suggests that production focused on tegula roof-tiles. Further kilns were located within the precinct and beyond there was a trackway to the west and further kilns, including a large lime kiln, and stone quarries.

{2} During the first phase (AD150-250) a road/trackway aligned north-east to west may have provided access to the temple-mausoleum. A small quarry pit lay on the western side of the road. During Phase 2 (AD 250-350) the temple-mausoleum appears to have been in an advanced state of dilapidation and was comprehensively transformed. It compised the construction and use of two tile kilns in the former cella, three pottery kilns, two associated stoke pits and an oven in the courtyard area while a wooden superstructure covered parto of the area. There were a series of possible wooden structures around the courtyard. A swathe of intercutting quarry pits, constructed for the procurement of stone, dominated Area A to the east. Three pottery kilns and a lime kiln and stoke pit cut into the edge of one of the quarry pit groups. Located in the north-east corner of the site, on a distinctive crop of natural clay which covered a total area of c. 70m wide, was an amorphous group of four large clay extraction pits. The complex was abandonned at the beginning of the 5th century.

<1> Lambert, P, 2020, Building a Roman Villa: A Romano-Celtic temple-mausoleum and evidence of industry at Priors Hall, Corby (Article). SNN112662.

<2> Lambert, P, 2021, A Roman Temple-Mausoleum, Tile and Pottery Manufactories and Associated Industries at Zone 3, Area A, Priors Hall, Corby Post-Excavation Assessment and Updated
Project Design (Report). SNN112757.

<3> Crank, N. (Editor), 2021, South Midlands Archaeology (51), p. 64 (Journal). SNN113326.

Record last edited

Feb 25 2025 7:38PM