Monument record MDO1173 - Romano-British settlement at West Hill Bottom, Framapton

Earthwork remains of a Romano-British settlement visible as earthworks and cropmarks on aerial photographs.

Centred at SY 60559280. A grass covered RB settlement. It differs from the Dorset IA/RB settlement of the Woodcutts and Rotherley type by having no encircling or associated enclosures. Situated on unploughed downland and below the crest of a hill falling to the east it is almost certain, as judged by the topographical situation and lack of recent disturbance in the area, that no enclosure has even existed. The site consists of strong and surveyable hollows scooped out on terraces which stand one above the other on the hillside and the normal low accompanying mounds. Partly covered by nettles and thistles. RB pottery, including part of a mortarium and two portions of tegulae were found in rabbit scrapes. <1> A settlement above West Hill Bottom (SY 605928) is Romano-British at least in its final phase and contemporaneous with the surrounding Celtic field system. <2> Centred at SY 60569280 on a gentle east-facing slope are at least eight hollows scooped out of the hillside. Each hollow is roughly rectangular and bounded by ill-defined scarps; they are all about 20.0 - 24.0 metres in diameter and the uphill scarp of each one is the strongest, up to 1.0 metres high. They have obviously been considerably reduced by ploughing since 1955. The hollows lie just west of the edge of the steep western scarp of West Hill Bottom. They are similar to the features near Hogleaze Farm (SY 69 SW 32). Surveyed at 1:2500 on M.S.D. <3> This settlement was not located by the OS Field Examiner during revision. <4> Earthwork remains of a Romano-British settlement visible as earthworks and cropmarks on aerial photographs. The earthworks are situated on unploughed downland and below the crest of a hill falling to the east. They comprise of at least eight hollows scooped out of the hillside. Each hollow is roughly rectangular and bounded by ill-defined scarps. They appear to be contemporaneous with the surroundingIron Age/Romano-British field system and are similar in form to the settlement earthworks near Hogleaze Farm (MDO1174). <5-8>

Record last edited

Oct 27 2023 12:13PM