Monument record 1209/1 - Romano-British Villa

Site of a Roman villa partly excavated in 1850 when Baths, a Mosaic, a column base and painted wall plaster were discovered.

{1} The villa included a room with a tessellated pavement, and six other rooms, exclusive of a bath and hypocaust. The pavement room measures 9ft 6in by 15ft: a doorway leads into another room westward, 15ft square. Still further west is a third room. To the south of the pavement room is another apartment, 13ft by 10. The bath adjoins this room southwards and still farther south is the hypocaust. On the north of the pavement room is an apartment, 10ft 6in by 15ft, from which a narrow doorway opens west.
A skeleton was discovered on the floor of the pavement room, another near the entrance of the adjoining apartment, a third in the room further west; two skeletons were found in the room south of the pavement room and two more in the bath, plus one of a child and dog in the adjoining room.
The emblem of the cross of Constantine appears in one of the pavements, possibly indicating that this portion of the building was constructed subsequent to his reign.

40-50 yards north east of the villa appear the foundations of another structure. It faces south west, and is entered by a porchway containing a mosaic pavement, 6ft 2in square. Within the building is another pavement 5ft square. Long passages extend right and left and this portion of the building measures 63ft 6in by 30ft.

{2} Plan of pavement room mosaic. Under the mosaic were two skeletons, interred in the method of Christian burial. Descriptions and illustrations of mosaics and finds. Plan.

{3} Roman pottery found on the surface and stonework ploughed up. ‘villa’ found by labourers digging for stone. Finds included a column base, painted wall plaster, tiles (roofing tiles resembling those from Bisley villa), Samian and other potsherds, also coins from Tetricus to Maximianus.Two mosaics were found in the separate north westerly building, and one of these was given to Queen Victoria and relaid in a dairy at Windsor. The villa was located at SP733445 in 1956: walls were traced on either side of the road. Oral report from 1969: Romano-British pottery has been found over the years from the site. There is a large scatter of Romano-British occupation debris at the site but the main concentration is centred on SP73224457.

{4} Excavation. Two buildings were discovered. One, at the S. end of the site, contained at least 12 rooms including a bath suite, and there was a mosaic pavement, apparently comprising a grid of squares outlined in red with a square of white at each intersection. This building lay to the W. of a large courtyard. The second building lay to the N. and contained two mosaics: one, in the main part of the building, had a square central panel with a bust of a winged female wearing a wreath and probably holding a spray of leaves; the other had a pattern of red crosses. Finds included painted wall-plaster, a column base, tiles, pottery including samian, and coins from Tetricus to Maximianus. More buildings debris and pottery has been found scattered over a wide area since 1950. A 'small stone pedestal', possibly an altar, is also recorded.

{6} A 'Villa' found (by labourers digging for stone {19}) and partially excavated in 1850 near 'the Gullet' in Holton Coppice 3 miles east of Whittlebury village and a quarter of a mile west of Watling Street (also 'to the south is a stream feeding an extensive fish-pond called 'Bradlem Pool' {1}. The plans and records are not wholly satisfactory
(see plan, based on that in {2}); it appears that a square entrenchment surrounded the whole building area. There were 3 mosaic pavements, 2 in the separate north-westerly building, and one of these was given to Queen Victoria and relaid in a dairy at Windsor. Finds included a column base, painted wall plaster, tiles (roofing tiles resembling those from Bisley villa {19}, Samian and other potsherds etc., (also coins from Tetricus to Maximianus {19}). 'Bradlem Pool' is published on OS 6" at SP733443 so the correct siting should be at c SP733445 (note that the OS 6" shows 'Stone quarries' there. The OS siting {3} is in error because of a misreading of the relationship between the site and 'Bradlem Pool' on an old record card).

{7} Stamped tile 'LEG XXVV' possibly from this site but there is also reference to finds near the church.

{18} Roman tessellated pavement, two feet below the surface. The floor was 15 feet by 9 feet 6 inches. It had, in the centre, an ornamental square about four feet across, bordered by a double guilloche of half-inch tesserae, red, brown, white and blue. In the centre of the square was the head and bust of a human figure, crowned. Part of the figure had been damaged by the roots of the large tree growing above it. The main floor of the room was formed of light brown and blue inch tesserae. The foundations of several other rooms were uncovered, including a bath. Several skeletons were in some rooms, with fragments of earthenware vessels of “curious manufacture”. There were flue tiles, fragments of glass vessels, three stones similar to ‘jack weights’ each weighing eight pounds, the base of a small stone altar, and five coins of the Emperor Carus (AD 282).

{19} Northward of the villa, remains of a building have been found, enclosing a tessellated pavement of rather coarse workmanship, in the central compartment is portrayed a radiated head.

{20} Descriptions and drawings of brick (or tile) of the 20th Legion, paintings of metal artefacts and a pottery vessel found at the villa, also a plan and measurements;

{21} Limestone scatter, Roman pottery and roof tiles found in area of villa. Very little metalwork found outside the area of the villa. Tessarae also found; majority was found at SP73194464 in the Roman villa.

{22} (SP 73274458). Roman pottery found on the surface and stonework ploughed up. Detailed investigations pending.

{23} The villa was located at SP733445 by V Ashby in 1956 who traced walls on either side of the road.
There is a large scatter of RB occupation debris at the site but the main concentration is centred to SP73224457.

{25} Drawing of stamped tile "LEGXXVV", plans, drawings, measurements;

<1> PRETTY E., 1851, On The Discovery of Roman Remains Near Towcester, 6/73-6 (checked) (Article). SNN109467.

<2> PRETTY E., 1852, On The Discovery of Roman Remains Near Towcester, 7/107-114 (checked) (Article). SNN13368.

<3> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP74SW2 (checked) (Index). SNN443.

<4> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1982, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.169/Site 4 (checked) (Series). SNN77382.

<5> Northampton Museum 6 Inch Map, (unchecked) (Map). SNN10162.

<6> Ryland, W, Adkins, D, and Serjeantson, R M, 1902, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.199-200 (checked) (Series). SNN100368.

<7> Baker G., 1830, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.73 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77328.

<8> Woodfield P., 1978, Roman Architectural Masonry From Northamptonshire, 13/85 (checked) (Article). SNN101140.

<9> Price T.D., 1938, The Antiquaries Journal, p.45 (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN12079.

<10> Ryland, W, Adkins, D, and Serjeantson, R M, 1902, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.199-200 (checked) (Series). SNN100368.

<11> 1954, Northampton Independent, 15/10/1954 (unchecked) (Newspaper cuttings). SNN15697.

<12> 1956, The Chronicle and Echo, 29/8/1956 (Newspaper cuttings). SNN15703.

<13> 1955, OS 6 Inch Map, SP74SW (checked) (Map). SNN15695.

<14> Rainey A, 1973, Mosaics in Roman Britain, p.156 plate 14A (Book). SNN102978.

<15> 1979, British Archaeological Reports (BAR 41), p.152 No148 (unchecked) (Series). SNN10033.

<16> Rivet, A.L.F. (Ed.), 1969, The Roman Villa in Britain, p.143 (unchecked) (Book). SNN47208.

<17> GREEN C., Journal of the Northamptonshire Natural History Society, p. 187-190 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN47207.

<18> 1850, Northampton Mercury, 23rd March 1850, (unchecked) (Newspaper cuttings). SNN106801.

<19> 1850, The Archaeological Journal (7), p.172 (checked) (Journal). SNN57366.

<20> Dryden H.E.L., 1842-1895, Dryden Collection, DR/25/302/1,5,8-11 (Archive). SNN115.

<21> Kings, B., 1999, Map of The Gullet, Whittlebury, (checked) (Map). SNN45669.

<22> Annotated Record Map, Corr. 6" (H C R Frost, 1950) (Map). SNN112961.

<23> Baird, J, 1969, Field Investigators Comments, F1 JB 27-OCT-69 (Note). SNN111452.

<24> Scott, E., 1993, A gazetteer of Roman villas in Britain, p. 148/NH 117 (Monograph). SNN110345.

<25> Dryden H.E.L., 1842-1895, Dryden Collection, DR/25/302/6,7,13-15 (Archive). SNN115.

Record last edited

Feb 10 2025 8:01PM