Building record 724/2 - Late 1st-early 2nd Romano-British Mill Building (RCHME Building D) replaced in the medieval period

Simple mill building built in the Roman period, later used for corn-drying. In the 13th century another mill was constructed on a similar, though slightly larger, footprint

{1} Excavation of 1972-6. A late AD C1st rectangular stone building north of the villa, beside a small stream. It contained three corn-drying ovens and areas of blackened soil and carbonised grain. Possibly a watermill, though there was no direct evidence to support this.

{2} Building A had been constructed by a small stream, running east-west across Field 70. Its walls were cut into a terraced area on the south side of the stream. The narrowness of the walls suggests a wooden superstructure. The building was c. 11m x 8m. Possible wooden partitions marked by sills. The surviving floor was of pitched stonework, although several large flat stones were found upon this. Other internal features included three simple corn-drying ovens, all of which possibly belong to the last days of the building. The building was possibly a watermill, given its location next to the stream. Also numerous samples of carbonised grain were taken from the sealed deposits both insode and outside of the building, in addition to the finding of five large pieces of millstone, re-used in some of the later buildings in Field 68. Pottery from drainage ditches associated with the building is dated to the late C1st AD.

{4} The Roman mill was 13.7m long and 7.9-8.2m wide. It had a pitched stone floor that was later covered with fine gravel. Much of this was later removed when the mill was re-used for drying grain. At the western end of the building five simple kilns were noted. A water-management system directing water to the mill was identified.
The later mill was longer, 19.5m. Internally there was a substantial flagstone floor. The medieval mill was erected sometime in the 13th century on the smae site as the earlier building. Documnetary evidence confirms that a ruined 13th century mill changed hands in 1303-8. It was still extant in 1330.

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1982, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p. 157/ Site 5 (unchecked) (Series). SNN77382.

<2> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1977, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1976, p.219-221 (checked) (Report). SNN723.

<3> Woodfield C., 1998, LETTERS, (unchecked) (Letter). SNN58562.

<4> Turland, R E & Woods, P J, 2017, Excavations at Burcote Wood Farm, Wood Burcote, Towcester, Northamptonshire, 1972-1982 and 2010: An introductory account (Book). SNN110764.

Record last edited

Jun 27 2024 11:05AM