Monument record 1655 - Romano-British Settlement

A substantial Roman settlement located within a loop of the River Nene at Woodford (SP975546) has been known since the early C18th. In June 1986 gravel extraction in meadow land immediately adjacent to the surface scatter exposed areas of metalling and ditches. Limited excavation was undertaken. The settlement includes a high-status building/villa.

{2} Roman settlement located within the loop of the River Nene, the earliest activity on the site appears to be late first century AD. Majority of pottery on site appears to be second century AD.The settlement appears to have a number of phases - two distinct alignments of ditches were noted, with the repositioning of features appearing to suggest a measure of replanning in the early Roman period. At a later date buildings and yards were constructed over the enclosures, although these shared the alignment of the earlier features.The stone foundations of a circular structure were noted, these had been cut through by one of a number of later rectangular buildings.The settlement is believed to have been of high status due to the range and quality of finds including roof tiles, box flue tiles, white plaster, tesserae, window glass and domestic glass. The site appears to represent a villa.

{3} A substantial Roman settlement located within a loop of the River Nene at Woodford (SP975546) has been known since the early C18th. In June 1986 gravel extraction in meadow land immediately adjacent to the surface scatter exposed areas of metalling and ditches. Limited salvage excavation and watching brief were carried out by the Survey supported by the Raunds Historical Society. A circular building 4m in diameter, was partly overlain by one of two nearby rectangular structures. A date in the C2nd is likely for these buildings. A well, boundary ditches and part of a road were also recorded. (See Fig 6.28.)
Cropmark evidence is limited to an area of about 2ha within the arable field which conatins the western part of the site. The full extent of the features to the east was only glimpsed in quarry sections. Three apparently parallel linear ditches, including one which can be traced for over 200m, may have been intended to cut the meander of the river, thereby dividing the settlement from the surrounding higher ground.
Observation of quarry sections showed that a considerable density of ditches and other features, all presumably Roman, extended into the pasture field for at least 40m. No other details of layout were obtained. At the north-east a substantial limestone trackway, some 3-3.5m wide, was traced over a distance of 41m below the alluvium. If its alignment is projected across the river to the south it may form a link with a site at Ringstead, where a ditch on the same alignment has been traced in cropmark for 120m.
Topsoil removal prior to gravel extraction destroyed extensive areas of Roman settlement. Detailed investigation was limited to a single area of excavation 40m x 6m with smaller islands to the north. Within these small areas two broad phases of activity were identified, with a group of buildings and yard surfaces replacing a series of ditches.
Phase 2 followed at least partial backfilling of the Phase 1 ditched enclosures in the C2nd. Buildings and yard surfaces were constructed over them. The buildings appear to share the same alignment as the underlying ditches and those identified as cropmarks.
The lack of late Iron Age pottery from both the surface collection and excavation suggests that the settlement came into existence during the later C1st AD. The pottery is predominantly of the C2nd AD with a decline during the later Roman period. A series of 11 coins collected by a local metal detectorist however denotes activity in the C3rd and C4th, with the latest coin a Constantinopolis-issue of AD 330-5.

<1> Young S., 1994, Fieldwalking Survey of Romano-British Sites, (part checked) (Gazetteer). SNN54726.

<2> Parry S., 1993, Raunds Area Survey Report, p.146-51 (unchecked) (Draft). SNN1175.

<3> Parry S. et al, 2006, Raunds Area Survey: An Archaeological Study of The Landscape of Raunds, Northamptonshire 1985-94, p.199-201 (checked) (Book). SNN105780.

Record last edited

Jun 6 2023 11:51AM