Monument record 4533/1 - Romano-British farmstead, west of Billing Lane

Roman finds and cropmarks have been discovered in this location from the 1960s. Archaeological evaluation defined the extent of the settlement and subsequent excavation was undertaken in 2021 and 2022 prior to development. A probable farmstead comprising a double-ditched enclosure containing a building was located to the west. The building had a subterranean room with the remains of steps, a concreted floor and painted plaster walls. Enclosures to the east delineated agricultural, industrial and water management areas which included ovens, water tanks and a well.

{1} Cropmarks of enclosures were identified by Hollowell in 1962. Indistinct marks are possibly archaeological (possibly rectangular enclosures) or could be geological in nature.

{2} NCCAP:SP7965/002.

{3} SP797657. Imitation coin of Helena c.AD 340, found in 1973.

{4} Roman sherds of C2nd to C4th with a patch of limestone, roof tiles, iron slag and coins of Gallienus and Victorinus found from 1963. A large fragment of millstone was found in 1970. SP797657. Worked flints have also been found nearby.

{5} Roman pottery of C2nd to C4th date, roof tiles, iron slag, a number of C3rd and C4th coins, limestone rubble and part of a quern have been found at SP797657.

{6} SP797657. Four Roman coins, C2nd-C4th, found between 1984-88 and identified by Northampton Museum.

{7} Billing Lane, SP797657. A collection of finds made between December 1975 and January 1982 at this Roman site were donated to Northampton Museum (D 259.1982). It includes many Roman sherds, two possible Anglo-Saxon sherds (dark, gritty pottery), and a piece of quernstone. A further collection was made January 1983-January 1984, this also included many Roman sherds which were donated (D 78.1984). A centenionalis of Magentius, issue AD 351-2 was also found in October 1984 and identified by Northampton Museum.

{8} Roman coin: Ae antoninianus of Victorinus, rev. Salus Aug. found in December 1974 at SP 797 657.

{9} Geophysical survey identified rectilinear ditched enclosures and circular features indicating the presence of a possible small Romano-British settlement in the south of the area. The series of rectilinear ditched enclosures on a roughly southwestern alignment. The ditches occur on more than one angle, suggesting more than one phase to the archaeology. At least five circular positive anomalies were detected. These averaged approximately 10m in diameter and are considered likely to indicate ring gullies of Iron Age or Romano-British roundhouses, with a negative circular anomaly possibly a masonry-constructed roundhouse. Geological ‘patterned ground’ was evident in the data over much of the south of the site area.

{10} Archaeological trial trench excavation generally verified the results of the geophysical survey, identifying a number of rectilinear enclosures and round house ring ditches. One of the ring ditches appeared to have rubble masonry foundations. The geophysical survey indicated that it forms part of a ring ditch 7.9m in diameter and that the rubble layer continues around its entire circuit, possibly forming a rubble foundation for a wall. There was no indication of any internal features within the trench, but given that much of the possible wall has been destroyed, it is likely that any floor surfaces have also been truncated.

Possible contemporary internal elements within one of the enclosures included a length of wall which may be part of a building. An area of limestone rubble extended 1.6m north-east of the wall and was up to 0.14m deep. A brooch dating to late 1st/2nd century was found amongst the stones. The layer may be a demolition deposit, remnants of the wall dragged over by ploughing or a rough surface abutting the wall.

To the south of the main areas of enclosure lay two possible ring ditches. There was another, less well-defined area of settlement to the east, within which there was scant evidence of structural features but a number of ditches that may form enclosures or a boundary system.

{17} Archaeological excavation prior to development indicates that the settlement originated in the late Iron Age/early Roman period. There were attempts at controlling the water flow with the construction of a drainage ditch. There were two ring gullies, significantly one of which was stone-founded. A crouched burial also dated to this phase. An area of pitched stone with three adjacent postholes may have formed the base of a small structure. A rectilinear enclosure system was laid out later on in the early Roman period and water management continued to be important. Further burials were found including another crouched burial. During the middle Roman period, there was distinct zoning of the settlement: to the west was a double-ditched enclosure within which lay a structure and to the east was an area used for agricultural, industrial and water-management purposes. The stone structure within the double-ditched enclosure comprised a subterranean room. The room had the remains of three steps down into it, leading onto a concreted floor. There was a plaster sill around the base of the masonry which retained red paint. Pottery from the walls dated to between AD 70-150. Further pieces of moulded and painted wall plaster were found in the various rubble layers located within the structure, of which many were well decorated and looked to depict a garden scene. The southern part of the structure comprised the remnants of an L-shaped wall.

The eastern area included seven T-shaped ovens, a stone structure, two water tanks, a well and several pits. During the late Roman period there were few modifications including the addition of bedding trenches in the centre of the site.

<1> Foard G., 2000, Oral report to SMR, (01/09/1980) (Oral Report). SNN100433.

<2> Northamptonshire HER Collection of Aerial Photographs, NCCAP:SP7965/002 (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN104822.

<3> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1974, Archaeology In Northamptonshire 1973, 9/95 (checked) (Article). SNN9109.

<4> HOLLOWELL R., 1971, Aerial Photography and Fieldwork in the Upper Nene Valley, 6/16 (checked) (Journal). SNN106546.

<5> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1979, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.120-22 Site 2 (checked) (Series). SNN77380.

<6> Musgrave E.C.; Tingle M. (editors), 1991, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1990, 23/111 (checked) (Article). SNN100325.

<7> Dix B.(ed), 1985, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1983-4, 20/151 Overstone (checked) (Report). SNN100404.

<8> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1976, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1975, 11/193 (checked) (Journal). SNN169.

<9> Butler A., 2009, Archaeological Geophysical Survey at Overstone Leys, Northamptonshire April 2009, p.8 (checked) (Report). SNN107975.

<10> Walker, C. & Jones, C., 2011, Archaeological evaluation on land at Overstone Leys, Overstone, Northamptonshire Phase 3 (Report). SNN107903.

<11> Crank, N. (Editor), 2018, South Midlands Archaeology (48), p. 66-7 (Journal). SNN111393.

<12> Simmonds C., 2011, Archaeological Trial Trench Evaluation on Land at Overstone Leys, Overstone, Northamptonshire Phase 2, p.29 (checked) (Report). SNN107939.

<13> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1982, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.200 Site 2 (checked) (Series). SNN77382.

<14> Chapman P. (Ed.), 2010, Archaeology in Northamptonshire, 2009 (36), 36/187, 188 (checked) (Article). SNN107503.

<15> Horne B. (Editor), 2010, South Midlands Archaeology (40), 40/19 (checked) (Journal). SNN107083.

<16> Horne B. (Editor), 2012, South Midlands Archaeology (42), 42/34 (checked) (Journal). SNN108346.

<17> Preece, T, 2024, Post-Excavation Assessment and Updated Project Design for Overstone Park, Northamptonshire, May 2021 to January 2022 (Report). SNN117036.

Record last edited

Mar 31 2026 4:20PM