Monument record 1205/1 - Probable Roman Villa at Wakefield Lawn

Roman material including masonry, pilae bricks, roof and flue tiles, pottery, tesserae and window glass was recovered during dredging operations at Wakefield Lodge. The finds have been interpreted as indicating the site of a Roman villas or building.

{2} Roman Villa (SP 736429), beneath the artificial lake in front of Wakefield Lodge, on Boulder Clay at 103 m. above OD. Much Roman material has been dredged from the lake, including dressed limestone, brick, roof and flue tiles, tesserae, window glass and pottery.

{3} Excavation pre 1851 Roman villa. Finds of two RB floor tiles, eight pot vessels, six coloured horse teeth, pot sherds, four ceramic tesserae, four red painted fragments of wall plaster, glass tessera, glass fragments, ox horn frgament and stag horn fragment.

{5} Fragment of mosaic- British Museum say it's from an excavation of a villa near Wakefield lodge, Whittlebury Forest on estate of Duke Grafton. The mosaic is believed to have been given to Queen Victoria. However, there is no record of the mosaic in royal hands. [Could either be from Deanshanger RN:7639001/2, more likely to be Wakefield Lodge RN:7342001, G Foard].

{6} RB sherds, tiles, glass, stone and building material were seen by Mr D Smith, Duston when the lake was dredged in 1964. (Site not defined).

{7} A Roman building was discovered during the drought of 1959 when the water level in the artificial lake in front of Wakefield Lodge was lowered, revealing masonry on its bed. Mechanical dredging showed the silt on the N side of the lake to contain much dressed limestone, pilae bricks, roof & flue tiles, pottery, tesserae, and window glass. That on the S side contained just pottery and glass. (This points to the building lying in the W part of the lake at
SP 738429).

{10} RB occupation debris was seen by Mr Julian Richmond-Watson in 1964 when part of the lake was dredged, at SP73754279

{11} The spoil mounds on the side of the lake are now grass covered and no surface finds were made.

{12} Listed in gazetteer of Roman villas.

{13} Roman material in the British Museum from an excavation before 1940 and thought to come from a villa [SP 73 NE 34] may be from this site.

<1> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP74SW4 (checked) (Index). SNN443.

<2> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1982, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.118/Site 5 (checked) (Series). SNN77382.

<3> British Museum Accession Register, (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN10055.

<4> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1966, Bulletin of the Northamptonshire Federation of Archaeological Societies (Roman), p.12 (unchecked) (Article). SNN107200.

<5> WINDSOR ROYAL LIBRARY, 1980, CORRESPONDENCE, (unchecked) (Letter). SNN47327.

<6> Northampton Museum 6 Inch Map, (unchecked) (Map). SNN10162.

<7> 1961, Wolverton and District Archaeological Newsletter, 6/3 (Newsletter). SNN16440.

<8> 1961, The Journal of Roman Studies, 51/157-91 (Journal). SNN11345.

<9> FOARD G.R., ORAL REPORT TO SMR, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN51493.

<10> Historic England, Unknown, Oral information, correspondence (not archived) or staff comments, Oral Mr J Richmond-Watson. (Son of the owner) (Oral Report). SNN111577.

<11> Baird, J, 1969, Field Investigators Comments, F1 JB 27-OCT-69 (Note). SNN111452.

<12> Scott, E., 1993, A gazetteer of Roman villas in Britain, p. 146, NH 100 (Monograph). SNN110345.

<13> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1982, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p. 41-2 (Series). SNN77382.

Record last edited

Feb 10 2025 8:01PM