Monument record 895/0/15 - Roman settlement, Bannaventa

Excavations at Bannaventa in 1970-1 identified evidence of Roman settlement both inside and outside the defences. Within the walled area post hole founded buildings were discovered and in the extra mural area stockaded ditches, a hearth, post holes and a cobbled area.

{1} To the east of the modern road, the land has for a long time been permanent pasture and no cropmarks have been recorded there but excavations were carried out in 1970–2 on the assumed north corner of the town in order to locate and date the boundary ditches and to investigate the interior. This work revealed three clear ditches. The earliest defences were found to have been a ditch at least 7.6 m wide and 3.1 m deep apparently backed by a clay and turf rampart. The date of this ditch was not accurately ascertained, but it appeared to be later than the late 1st century. After this, perhaps in the early 4th century, the ditch was filled in and replaced by a stone wall some 3.7 m wide. Beyond the wall were two further ditches 5.2 m wide and 2.4 m. deep and 4.3 m wide and 1.8 m deep respectively. Again the dating was uncertain but they seemed to have been abandoned in or after the late 4th century.
Behind the defences a circular structure 6.7 m in diameter and dated to the 1st century was found, as well as a number of small ditches, some of prehistoric date. Outside the defences to the N. a cobbled surface bounded by a shallow ditch was discovered. It was interpreted as a possible street and dated to after the mid 2nd century. To the east of it were a number of pits and a hearth. Further south, in the interior of the town, a large excavation revealed pits, gulleys and ditches of various periods, a stone-lined well filled-in late in the Roman period, occasional post-holes and many stake-holes. At one place the floor and sleeper-beam slots of at least two timber-framed buildings were found; the later one had a room decorated with plaster imitating marble. Three adult burials were discovered as well as a number of coins, mostly of the 4th century. One Iron Age coin, a pre-Tasciovanus issue was found.

{2, 4} A section cut across the north-west perimeter in 1970-71 showed the earliest defences to have been post 1st century consisting of a ditch 25 feet wide by 10 feet deep, apparently backed by a clay and turf rampart whose existence is inferred from material in the upper filling of the ditch. Probably early in the 4th century the ditch was filled and a stone wall some 12 feet thick built. This wall has been entirely robbed; all that remains being scraps of mortar in a robber trench which has itself been partly destroyed by modern ploughing.

Beyond the wall lay two further ditches some 17 feet wide by 8 feet deep and 14 feet wide by 6 feet deep respectively, both apparently becoming disused in or after the late 4th century. The ditch nearest the town wall seems to have been filled intentionally with gravel, perhaps to enable the addition of bastions to the wall. The site had been much damaged by bulldozing, and ploughing, but investigations in the interior revealed a 1st century circular structure, a well over 24 feet deep which had been filled in late in the Roman period and large numbers of stake and post-holes indicative of buildings. One building had pink plaster imitating marble, but no traces of stone structures were found, and the dearth of items of personal adornment gives the impression of a relatively poor community with a continuity of occupation from pre-Roman times.

Finds include a pre-Tasciovanus British coin, Roman coins mainly of the 4th century, two brooches and a small amount of Samian ware.

Discoveries outside the defences included a hearth, occasional post-holes, a cobbled area and an extensive area of ditches interpreted as stockade ditches similar to examples found at Tripontium. A series of ditches extending in date from pre-Roman times to the 2nd century was also found within the walled area.

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1981, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.152 (checked) (Series). SNN77381.

<2> DIX B.; TAYLOR S., 1988, Excavations at Bannaventa (Whilton Lodge, Northants), 1970-71, p. 299-339 (Article). SNN77294.

<3> Taylor, J, 2000, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Whilton\Bannaventa (Roman), Section 3.3, 3.6 Buildings (Digital archive). SNN100750.

<4> Rugby School Natural History Group, 1971, Rugby School Natural History Society, p;. 14-6 (Uncertain). SNN60857.

<5> Munn, D, 2022, Report by Dale Munn (MSc) on human skull at Bannaventa (Whilton Locks, Daventry, Northamptonshire) (Report). SNN113644.

Record last edited

Jun 28 2022 10:54AM