Monument record 1621/1 - Probable Late Romano-British Cemetery

Only one major cemetery has been recorded at Titchmarsh during earlier quarrying to the west of the town and south of the likely course of the Gartree Road. There are few records of the discoveries and they are poorly located but they appear to have been part of a fairly substantial inhumation cemetery overlying late Iron Age and Early Roman ditches and pits.

{1} Only one major cemetery has been recorded at Titchmarsh during earlier quarrying to the west of the town and south of the likely course of the Gartree Road. There are few records of the discoveries and they are poorly located but they appear to have been part of a fairly substantial inhumation cemetery overlying late Iron Age and Early Roman ditches and pits. Although the original number of burials excavated is not known, work by Odell (1996) notes that approximately 50 inhumations were recovered of which only 18 could be studied for age and sex. The presence of a substantial cemetery in this area is not surprising but its extent is little known and may continue outside the quarried area under the former railway embankment to the east as burials were known to erode from this quarry face after extraction had ended in the 1970s. Its probable size suggests it may have been the major place of burial for the town in the later Roman period, augmented by ‘back plot’ burials of the kind found at Ashton and recorded as isolated examples in the 1988 evaluation to the western end of the town north of Gartree Road and to the east of the A605. No early cemetery is known and the lack of systematic work to the north and east of Titchmarsh in particular, raises the possibility that additional cemeteries may exist.

{2}TL 004795. Roman cemetery uncovered by gravel working in 1961-2. Some graves contained coffin and boot nails but there were no grave goods. Some pits and ditches were found which had antedated the burials, and some of these contained Belgic pottery. . Given ngr is incorrect. TL004795.

{3} The burials were aligned east-south-east. Correct ngr given via Mr Prior. TL 0050 7962

{4} Site records and finds of the 1961 excavation are held in Northampton Museum.

{5} A large cemetery was discovered during gravel-working in 1961-2. Graves contained coffins and nails but no grave-goods. Some pits and ditches containing Belgic-type pottery were also found. The cemetery may be that recorded in the 18th century;

{7} Finds from a pre 1757 quarry. A number of cremations were found in gravel digging on the west side of Titchmarsh Lordship close to the Nene. Finds of cremation urns, pot sherds, several coins and animal bone from a large discoloured area of dark soil;

{8} Roman settlement (centred TL 005794) Two skeletons in stone-lined graves, associated with C4th pottery, have been discovered in the area of the known cemetery W of the settlement (TL 004795). Details of a capital have been published.

{9} Burials revealed during quarrying pre 1975, recorded by Hadman and Metcalf. Two Romano-British skeletons in stone-lined graves which were eroded at the quarry edge. Associated C4th pottery. One sherd from a grave fitted a small area where the human skull was damaged; given ngr is possibly incorrect; TL004795.

{11} No major excavation or recording work was carried out in the area of the Roman cemetery, but
limited work was undertaken at the time by Norma Whitcómbe and helpers from Northampton Museum. The number of burials is unknown but it is noted that they buried east-west.

{12} Roman burials aligned ESE were uncovered by gravel quarrying at TL 0040 7953 (in June 1961). Also Wall? Pits and depressions and fragments of IA pottery in ditches found by D Jackson in 1964.

{13} Mr Prior, a local historian, indicated that the Ro burials (five) came from TL 00507962. The area has now been quarried away. D Jackson (M of W) states that none of the material found was retained.

{15} No further information. Northampton Museum have no reference to [the C18] cemetery.

<1> Taylor J., 2000, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Titchmarsh (Roman), Section 3.5.2 Cemetery (checked) (Digital archive). SNN100748.

<2> Jackson D., 1970, Fieldwork and Excavation in North Eastern Northamptonshire, p.43 (checked) (Article). SNN4821.

<3> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, TL07NW16 (checked) (Index). SNN443.

<4> 1976, Britannia, p.39-40 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN5242.

<5> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1975, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.99/Site 22 (unchecked) (Series). SNN77379.

<6> 1980, Correspondence, (unchecked) (Correspondence). SNN57317.

<7> 1757, The Gentleman's Magazine (1757), p.21 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN8476.

<8> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1982, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.193 (unchecked) (Series). SNN77382.

<9> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1975, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1974, p.163 (checked) (Report). SNN41605.

<10> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, TL07NW4 (checked) (Index). SNN443.

<11> Curteis M, Jackson D & Markham P, 1998-9, Titchmarsh Late Iron Age and Roman Settlement (Article). SNN104040.

<12> Northampton Museum Records (Uncertain). SNN126.

<13> Baird, J, 1969, Field Investigators Comments, 03-MAY-69 (Note). SNN111452.

<14> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1978, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1977, Page 77 (Journal). SNN2192.

<15> Baird, J, 1969, Field Investigators Comments, F1 JB 03-NOV-69 (Note). SNN111452.

Record last edited

Feb 10 2025 8:02PM