Monument record 220 - Iron Age & Romano-British Settlement, including Roman villa

Excavations between 1971 and 1973 revealed a villa with four main phases of occupation. Iron Age settlement was followed by a 1st-century Roman farmstead. No 2nd-century occupation was found in the area but by the late 3rd-century the area was in use with a farm building erected on the site. This was converted into a domestic building in the mid 4th century by the addition of a bath suite and the mosaic was put into a room. Inhumations found to the north may be an associated cemetery. Cropmarks of enclosures, probable hut circles and boundary ditches have been identified in the vicinity on aerial photographs.

{1} Excavations between 1971 and 1973 revealed a villa with four main phases of occupation. The earliest phase was an Iron Age ditch which was overlaid by a large stone building, possibly an early villa or agricultural building. This structure later had a room and a corridor added to it. Around AD 300 the main villa was erected to the north of the earlier building. It consisted of a range of six rooms one of which contained a fine mosaic. The villa was later extended to the south to meet the earlier building and another room was added to the west with a bath suite to the north The whole building was later demolished and levelled to make a courtyard. The mosaic is preserved in Thenford House. The villa lies on the west edge of a large area of Roman occupation debris, some 10 hectares in extent, including a dense spread of pottery and tiles.

{2} A final season of work on the site revealed the following sequence: an Iron Age settlement was followed by a late 1st century probable farm. No 2nd century occupation was found in the area but by the late 3rd century the area was in use with a farm building erected on the site. This was converted into a domestic building in the mid 4th century by the addition of a bath suite and the mosaic was put into a room. The bath suite was altered and extended at least twice before the building reverted to a more agricultural/Industrial use. The whole building was pulled down and the area became a courtyard, probably at the end of the 4th/beginning of the 5th century.

{3} Iron Age occupation represented by four ditches, probably comprising an enclosure or field system. The mosaic is comprised of a central medallion showing a girl, with geometric panels above and below. Nearest parallel is the Ceres Mosaic at Winterton, Lics. C. 340AD. Other rooms were added at the south and a slighter building on the west, made with stone footings for timbers.

{4} The erection of the main building containing the mosaic, probably in the early 4th century is now to be considered as all of one construction. Initially it consisted of 6 geometrically arranged rooms but was later extended south to abut the earlier building while another room was added on the west and a bath suite to the north.

{6} There appears to have been a "villa" half a mile east of the village in fields called Flaxlands and Stonegreen on the top of a slope which falls away steeply westwards and immediately south (sic) of the walled garden of Thenford House (ie SP 525417). The surface is still strewn with brick and pottery and in ploughing along the top of a pavement several "fireplaces" are said to have been found.

{10} Finds include colour coated, grey, gritted, Samian and mortarium sherds, tile, wall paster, 3rd century coins.

{13, 26} A Roman villa near Thenford (SP 525415) has been excavated by the Oxford University Archaeological Society under the direction of Ian Sanders. A fine mosaic was discovered in a corridor; adjacent to it is a room with a hypocaust and a simple three room bath suite had been added to the N end of the building. To the south is an earlier building of unknown extent. There is evidence of 5th century occupation in the form of a courtyard laid over the levelled remains of the buildings. Mr Sanders has not yet had time to work on all the material. Plan supplied. Photo of mosaic.

{14} Two fields called Stonegreen and Flaxlands about half a mile E of Thenford, abound in vestigia of Roman occupation. Foundations, tesserae, and coins are frequently found, the latter from Tetricus to Constans. Portions of hypocausts, very disturbed, were found by Baker.

{17} Listed in gazetteer of Roman villas.

{22} "Skeletons have been found in Mr Severne's garden, on the north (sic) side of Stone Green" (The Severne family being owners of Thenford House - Baker). Two sources therefore point to the site being south of the walled garden; positioning north of the garden relies on a Correspondent's 6" by R J C Atkinson who makes reference to VCH but gives no supporting authority for his siting).

{23} Northampton Museum hold flue tile from this site.

{24} Mr D J Barrett, 6 Field View, Marston St Lawrence, a local amateur archaeologist indicated the site of the Ro building at SP 52524158 and said that over the last ten years he has found much RB occupation material from the area indicated on the OS 6". The finds, all in his possession, include colour coated, grey, gritted, samian and mortarium sherds, tile, wall plaster, 3rd c coins etc. Finds made during field investigation confirm the above area.

{25} Field name survey (1932) and Enclosure field names (1765) (both held by CRO Northampton) made no mention of "Flaxlands" and "Stoneygreen".

{27, 28} Brief reports of containing excavation.

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1982, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.143-144 site 4 (checked) (Series). SNN77382.

<2> Photographs, NEG REF 34/2-16 (unchecked) (Photographs). SNN52344.

<3> 1973, DOE Archaeological Excavations (Various Years), p.62 (unchecked) (Series). SNN45978.

<4> Rowley R.T.; Fowler W.J. (Editors), 1973, CBA Group 9 Newsletter, p.17 (checked) (Journal). SNN10023.

<5> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1973, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1972, 8/17 (checked) (Journal). SNN8956.

<6> Ryland, W, Adkins, D, and Serjeantson, R M, 1902, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.201 (unchecked) (Series). SNN100368.

<7> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1972, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1971, 7/32 (checked) (Journal). SNN59984.

<8> 1972, Britannia, 3/325&360 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN47361.

<9> SOCIETY FOR THE PROMOTION OF ROMAN STUDIES, 1973, Britannia, 4/294 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN108081.

<10> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP54SW1 (checked) (Index). SNN443.

<11> Wilson D.R., 1973, Roman Britain in 1972, 4/294 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN19515.

<12> Crafer, M.; Hall, M. & Wagner, M., 1991, Historic Water and Woodland Features at Thenford House: A Preliminary Report on Their Heritage Importance and Options for Restoration, Appendix 2 (checked) (Report). SNN108808.

<13> 1972, CURRENT ARCHAEOLOGY, 3/333-4 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN10026.

<14> Baker G., 1830, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.717 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77327.

<15> 1974, Britannia, 5/434 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN58444.

<16> Department of Environment, 1973, DOE Archaeological Excavations 1972, p. 62 [Not accessed by NHER] (Series). SNN105605.

<16> 1974, DOE Archaeological Excavations 1973, p. 55 [Not accessed by NHER] (Series). SNN108940.

<17> Scott, E., 1993, A gazetteer of Roman villas in Britain, p. 147, NH 109 (Monograph). SNN110345.

<18> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1974, Archaeology In Northamptonshire 1973, 9/96 (checked) (Article). SNN9109.

<19> Rowley R.T.; Fowler W.J. (Editors), 1972, CBA Group 9 Newsletter: South Midlands Archaeology (2), 2/10 (unchecked) (Newsletter). SNN10022.

<20> 1974, Archaeological Excavations (Various Years), p.55 (unchecked) (Series). SNN57834.

<21> 1979, British Archaeological Reports (BAR 41), p.152 (unchecked) (Series). SNN10033.

<22> Beesley J., 1841, History of Banbury, p. 32 (Book). SNN280.

<23> Northampton Museum 6 Inch Map, Northampton Museum 6" (Anon). (Map). SNN10162.

<24> Baird, J., 1970, Field investigators comments, F1 JB 14-APR-70 (Notes). SNN110341.

<25> Colquhoun, FD, 1970, Field Investigator's Comments, F2 FDC 13-MAY-70 (Notes). SNN111540.

<26> Historic England, Unknown, Oral information, correspondence (not archived) or staff comments, Letter (I Sanders 9.9.74) (Oral Report). SNN111577.

<27> Rowley R.T.; Fowler W.J. (Editors), 1972, CBA Group 9 Newsletter: South Midlands Archaeology (2), p. 10 (Newsletter). SNN10022.

<28> Williams J.H., 1973, South Midlands Archaeology: CBA Group 9 Newsletter (3), p. 17 (Journal). SNN896.

<29> Historic England, Thenford Villa- photographs (Archive). SNN115299.

Record last edited

Feb 3 2025 8:15PM