Monument record 3200/0/6 - Roman occupation, Meadow View

The discovery of human skeletons during road construction in 1960 led to a fieldwalking survey which discovered building materials and part of a wall footing. A small excavation identfied two buildings and evidence of quarrying.

{1, 3, 7} A small 4th century building 36' x 26' on the site of a 2nd or 3rd cent building, probably of an aisled plan, was excavated in 1960 by E Greenfield on behalf of MOPBW, at Higham Ferrers (SP 954689). Further buildings were located 300 yds to the NW. Part of the former area was built over in 1963/4 and a collection of pottery including Samian ware was recovered.

{9} Human skeletons had been found during road building in 1960 and subsequent surface examination identifed building materials and a wall footing. Rescue excavation was undertaken in July 1961 during housing development. Additional trenches were cut through other scatters of building materials about 280m to the north-west. Three main phases were present within the excavated area.

Phase 1:-Building 1. North and East walls seen by robber trenches though a little of East wall survive. Most of West wall cut by later quarrying. South wall may lay outside area of excavation.11.5m by 4.5m. Associated metalling abuts West wall, survivng as three layers of ironstone. Pottery dates to the 1st-2nd century AD.
Phase 11; Quarrying. The area of quarrying was sampled by two trenches dug adjacent to the west wall of building 1. The feature (F1), quarry pit, was probably part of an extensive area of quarry activity. The presence of later 3rd century pottery may reflect the true date when F1 was levelled for the construction of building 2. The pit was cut into limestone and was presumably used for extraction.
Building 2 was an unusual form, being rectangular with rounded corners. Internal size 9.2m by 6.4m. Apart from west end its walls were denoted only by shallow robber trenches. The surviving masonry of the west wall was a maximum 0.7m wide. The stones were reused.

Only two internal features. (F16),The hearth was located slightly to the north and east of the centre of the building. Its remains comprised an oval depression 0.9 by 0.75m and 0.05m deep. The infill was largely ash and burnt stones.

The other feature (F13) was a small pit which contained the remains of a coin hoard. The feature had probably been reduced by ploughing giving rise to a spread of contemporary coins. Through the base of the ploughsoil. The coins still in the pit dated to the period 330-341AD with the exception of a single coin dating 350-360. Ploughsoil had two of the latter 350-60 date range. Pottery backs this date range. House used from late 3rd century to middle 4th.

{11, 12} It is likely that the Roman buildings described above are likely the core or southern part of a larger Roman settlement, excavated to the north and recorded in Monument Number 3200/0/21. The area was examined as part of the Bedford Borough NMP project, but no cropmarks were visible on the aerial photographs viewed as part of the survey but Source {5} was not available.

{13} The site is listed in a gazetteer of Roman villas.

<1> Brown, A.E. (Ed.), 1967, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1966/67 (Roman), p.11, 12 (unchecked) (Article). SNN58197.

<2> Ryland, W, Adkins, D, and Serjeantson, R M, 1902, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.218 (unchecked) (Series). SNN100368.

<3> 1962, THE JOURNAL OF ROMAN STUDIES, 52/174 (Journal). SNN37920.

<4> Hall D.N., 1966, Sites on the North Bedfordshire and South Northamptonshire border, p.5 (unchecked) (Article). SNN37934.

<5> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1975, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.54-5/Site 2 (unchecked) (Series). SNN77379.

<6> Meadows, I, Ernest Greenfields excavations of a Romano-British site west of Higham Ferrers, (unchecked) (Typescript). SNN57420.

<7> GREENFIELD, 1961, MOPBW ANNUAL EXCAVATION REPORT, /9 (Uncertain). SNN48186.

<8> Annotated Record Map, Northants Mus 6" 1964 (A E Rollings) (Map). SNN112961.

<9> Meadows I., 1992, Three Roman Sites in Northamptonshire: Bozeat, Higham Ferrers & Great Oakley, P85 (Article). SNN40363.

<10> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP96NE11 (unchecked) (Index). SNN443.

<11> Lawrence , S & Smith, A, 2009, Between Villa and Town: Excavations of a Roman roadside settlement and shrine at Higham Ferrers, Northamptonshire (Monograph). SNN111386.

<12> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Object Name Book reference, Amanda Adams 10-JAN-2019 Bedford Borough NMP (Archive). SNN113537.

<13> Scott, E., 1993, A gazetteer of Roman villas in Britain, p. 144, NH 66 (Monograph). SNN110345.

Record last edited

Feb 21 2024 11:11AM