Monument record 1268/0/2 - Roman iron working site, Berry Road

Part of a Roman industrial site found during construction in 1961 or 1962.

{1} Discoveries made during building works in 1961-2 including stonework which had been exposed to fire, and lumps of slag which indicate iron-working. A small Roman vase of the 1st century was also found.

{2} A Roman industrial site was found on a bungalow site at Cottingham (near where the road divides to Middleton and Cottingham) in 1961 or 1962. The stone work had been exposed to fire, and evidence of ironworking was seen in the many lumps of scoria found. Saxon pottery had been found at the extremity of the site, and a small Roman vase of the C1st was found under the bungalow site.
The site is very close to the Roman Road from Leicester (RR 57A).

{4} Mr W Freestone, Bury House, Cottingham, is the owner of the small bungalow development upon which the above industrial site was discovered. Mr Freestone was present when the finds were made, and indicated to me on the ground the main sources of discovery at SP 84309014 and SP 84249009. All the finds were passed to the Corby Archaeol Soc who in turn presented them to Leicester Museum for retention and classification. The Museum is shortly to publish a paper; meanwhile the provisional classification by Miss Butcher (MoW) is of two C1st corn drying kilns (HER 1268/0/1) possibly with other adjacent industrial activity; the pottery noted as "Saxon" is "very doubtful" to the Museum authorities.

{5} Listed in gazetteer of Roman villas.

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1979, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.26 site 1 (unchecked) (Series). SNN77380.

<2> 1962, Loughborough and District Archaeological Society Bulletin, 5/15 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN47042.

<3> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP89SW26 (unchecked) (Index). SNN443.

<4> Colquhoun, FD, 1970, Field Investigator's Comments, F1 FDC 14-JUL-1970 (Notes). SNN111540.

<5> Scott, E., 1993, A gazetteer of Roman villas in Britain, p. 142/NH 31 (Monograph). SNN110345.

Record last edited

May 22 2023 9:50AM