Monument record 2968/1 - Lodge Leys Romano-British Villa, Brixworth

A Neolithic flint working site including leaf-shaped and barbed-and-tanged arrowheads, scrapers and blades as well as cores, were found during excavation on the Roman villa. Excavations between 1965 and 1970 revealed the remains of a large building of several periods but, although the pottery from the site has been published in detail, only a brief summary of the structure exists. Five periods of occupation were recovered. The earliest is represented by ditches and a circular hut some 6m in diam., all dating from before 70 AD, which was replaced by a small five-roomed rectangular masonry structure, orientated N-S with a timber colonnade on the W and some painted walls. It was dated to between 70 AD and 100 AD. In the late 2nd or early 3rd century the north end of the range was reconstructed and a detached outbuilding was erected to the south. The latter remained in use until the end of the 3rd century and at one time was used for the manufacture of bronze implements. In the late 3rd or early 4th century the villa was doubled in size by the addition of another room to the north, a corridor to the east and a large bath suite to the south. Two infant-burials were found below the floor of one of the rooms in the bath suite. The later history of the site is not clear, as a result of extensive robbing and deep ploughing, but surface finds indicate occupation lasting well into the 4th and perhaps into the 5th century. The villa may have been partly occupied in the early Saxon period. A Saxon building and burial found during the excavation of the Roman villa; ten post-holes, arranged in two parallel rows of five 1.2m apart across one of the rooms in the villa, were dated to the early Saxon period and were thought to be for a structure erected within the already ruined villa. An inhumation burial under a rough cairn made from stone from the collapsed Roman building, was also found. No grave goods were noted. Saxon pottery has been discovered in the vicinity.

{1} Major excavation of 1965-70 at SP746719 revealed buildings, heaths and ditches of a Romano-British villa at SP746719. The earliest occupation was a circular hut c.6m in diameter, pre-dating the 70 AD building of the villa main range. A five-room rectangular stone building with timber colonnade and painted walls was interpreted as dating to 70-100 AD. There was a period of rebuilding in the C2nd-3rd AD. The villa underwent a major expansion in the late C3rd-4th, including the addition of the bath suite. Evidence was also found of bronze working dating to the C3rd AD. Romano-British pot sherds, crucibles, bronze finds, wall plaster and flue tiles were recovered. The latest activity revealed was ten postholes arranged in two parallel rows, possibly an early Saxon structure within the abandoned Romano-British villa.

{4} Pottery report and site summary.The site was subject to extensive robbing and deep plough damage. Plan. Fieldname: Lodge Leys.

{11} Part field parcel 5525, Site of Brixworth Roman Villa: arable southern part. Recently drilled. No readily evident quarry edge. Rapid walkover revealed a broad spread of Roman tile plus stone at southern end of field in the vicinity of c.SP74667187. Woods and Turland confirm that villa focused at approximately 74657188 with western room VI, in which was deposited a protective sheet of corrugated tin at time of reburial, approx 75m from field western hedgerow and 104m from southern boundary hedgerow (pers com P.Woods). As a result of partial excavations undertaken in the late 1960s, the excavators were able to determine that the main villa buildings are located immediately outside the quarried area and escaped destruction as did other activity extending westward, including what may be part of an associated Roman field system and a possible Saxon ‘grubenhauser’ at the north-west edge of the field. Information provided by the excavators of the villa has confirmed that walls and other features of the villa survived in good condition when excavated and that these were reburied following completion of their fieldwork. All the indications are that the villa and associated features remain in situ and are probably in good condition having been buried to a greater depth than prior to excavation. David Hall, who worked on the excavations, has also recalled that main features, walls etc were left in situ and were in good condition (pers com). It is estimated that significant archaeology thus survive within the western part of field 5525. Given the importance of these remains, HET would attach the highest priority to reverting the unquarried western side of field 5525 in order to prevent longer term cultivation damage to buried archaeological remains. In practice this would apply only to the western 100m of the field, the remainder having been quarried. If reversion is not an option we would strongly recommend that minimal cultivation be practised with no sub-soiling.

{15} Find of pre 21/09/1933. The base of a greyware pot was ploughed up in this field.

{16} Two infant burials were found below the bath suite floor.

{18} (SP7574) Listed in a catalogue of poppy head beakers, (fig. 23). (SP7470) A piece of dressel 37 type, found in 1977.

{19} (SP7470) Recorded in the reference as 'Site No 8', relating to 'aspects of the winged corridor villa of Britain'. A corridor with a room projecting wing-like at only one end was added around 300 AD. It is probable that the plan at Brixworth was symmetrical and could be included in a discussion of unit system villa.

{20} The NGR provided in authority 1 is location only, a more exact location is NGR (SP74667188).

{21} The villa was first built between 70 and 100 AD as a strip house. Around 170 AD two of the rooms and a bipartite unit are merged. Half a century later the building becomes more complex.

{23} NH 19 Listed as the site of a Roman villa.

[24} The bath-house attached to a Roman villa, of 2nd cent date, was excavated at Lodge Leys Field, SP 74667188 (1), between 1965-7. On present evidence the site was occupied between the late 1st to 4th cent. With some suggestion of an earlier settlement. An undateable inhumation was found which took place soon after the building became derelict, and a child burial was found in an angle of one of the rooms. Excavations are to continue.

{25} Mr P J Woods {authority {24} consulted. He has nothing to add to the above report, but confirms the siting, which is now under pasture. Excavation is to recommence in the spring for another season.

<1> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP77SW16 (unchecked) (Index). SNN443.

<2> 1966, Roman Britain in 1965, p.207 (unchecked) (Chapter). SNN28996.

<3> Brown, A.E. (Ed.), 1967, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1966/67 (Prehistoric), p.7-8 (unchecked) (Article). SNN20962.

<4> WOODS P.J., 1967, A Mid-Second Century Pottery Group From Brixworth, Northamptonshire, p.4-28 (unchecked) (Article). SNN107290.

<5> 1969, Journal of The Northampton Museum and Art Gallery (6), (unchecked) (Journal). SNN9670.

<7> Rowley R.T.; Fowler W.J. (Editors), 1972, CBA Group 9 Newsletter: South Midlands Archaeology (2), p.9 (unchecked) (Newsletter). SNN10022.

<8> Woods PJ, 1970, Brixworth Excavations: Vol. 1. The Romano-British Villa, 1965-70. (Part 1- The Roman Coarse Pottery and Decorated Samian Ware), (unchecked) (Journal). SNN28436.

<9> 1979, Northamptonshire Archaeological Archive Records Summary, (unchecked) (Archive). SNN57312.

<10> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1981, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.29 & 30/Site 16 & 24 (unchecked) (Series). SNN77381.

<11> Cadman G., 2002, Brixworth Roman Villa And Some Adjoining Fields; Site Visit Notes, (unchecked) (Notes). SNN102310.

<12> JONES M., 1982, Crop Production in Roman Britain, (unchecked) (Article). SNN75262.

<13> WOODS P., 1994, Excavations at the Site of the Brixworth Roman Villa (Leaflet). SNN62919.

<14> Unknown, Unknown, An Index of Sites Excavated in Northamptonshire (Typescript). SNN111905.

<15> Northampton Museum Topographical Index, (unchecked) (Index). SNN1470.

<16> WOODS P., 1970, Excavation Summary, (unchecked) (Notes). SNN57323.

<17> Scott, E., 1993, A gazetteer of Roman villas in Britain, p. 141, NH 19 (Monograph). SNN110345.

<18> Arthur, P and Marsh, G, 1978, Early Fine Wares in Roman Britian, p. 127 (Book). SNN115755.

<19> Todd, M. (Ed.), 1978, Studies In The Romano-British Villa, p. 118-9 (Book). SNN75204.

<20> Northamptonshire HER, Unknown, Oral information, correspondence (not archived) or staff comments, E Jones Northants SMR 1992 (Oral Report). SNN115011.

<21> Miles, D, 1982, The Romano-British countryside: studies in rural settlement and economy, Part 2, p. 87-90, 443 (Book). SNN111545.

<23> Scott, E., 1993, A gazetteer of Roman villas in Britain, p. 141 (Monograph). SNN110345.

<24> 1967, Journal of The Northampton Museum and Art Gallery (1) (Journal). SNN20957.

<25> Colquhoun, FD, 1969, Field investigators comments (Notes). SNN112950.

Record last edited

Feb 10 2025 8:07PM