Monument record MDO5991 - Roman settlement to the south west of Badbury Rings, Shapwick

A Romano-British settlement next to Badbury Rings, in the form of an irregular enclosure bounded by a slight bank with traces of an inner ditch in places, and apparently associated with a circular earthwork. Excavations in and around this circular feature by W G Wallace in 1900 and C G Rudd in 1952 revealed stone roofing slabs and painted wall-plaster, pottery including as Samian and New Forest ware, and personal ornaments such as glass bead, pins and a brooch. A few Iron Age and many Roman coins, mostly of the 4th century, were found. Recent research by the National Trust suggests that this is the site of a temple. The record for this monument has been enhanced with support from Wessex Water. The site is visible as earthworks and was digitally plotted from aerial photographs and lidar imagery (1-2) during the Dorset Middle Stour AI&M Project.

Romano-British settlement (ST 960029) immediately W of Badbury Rings covers about 10 acres on a gentle S slope, about 260ft above OD. The major part of the site, an irregular enclosure beside the Roman Road, (RR 4c) is bounded by a bank, nowhere more than 2 1/2ft high and up to 20ft wide, with traces of an inner ditch in the SW. The enclosed area is featureless except for some ridge-and-furrow in the SW half, in places this has almost destroyed the bank. To the NE, in a triangular area delimited by the enclosure, by the outer ditch of Badbury Rings and by the Roman Road, are a barrow (ST 90 SE 33A) and a circular earthwork. The latter, 200ft to 250ft in diameter and bounded by a low bank with traces of an outer ditch, has an irregular mound 1 1/2ft high in the centre (ST 96100300). It has been suggested that it is a disc barrow <1-2> but this is extremely unlikely and it is almost certainly part of the settlement. Excavations by W G Wallace in 1900 and by C G Rudd in 1952, on and arund the circular feature, revealed stone roofing slabs, painted wall-plaster and over 185 coins dating from Claudius to Arcadius, but mostly of the 4th century, as well as 21 Durotrigian silver and bronze coins. Samian ware, New Forest ware and other pottery, glass beads, bronze pins, a bracelet and a brooch were also found. The quantity of finds in so small an area is remarkable. Other Roman, Iron Age and earlier material was collected some 500 yds. to the N.e. (96420325), immediately N. of Badbury Rings. Finds are in BM and DCM/ The site, together with Badbury Rings, has been identified with Vindocladia of the Antonine Itinerary. <5> ST 961030. The circular earthwork mentioned above was interpreted as a Roman temple by B Pybus in 1975. See plan. <6> A single molehill at the eastern corner of the enclosure produced five sherds of prehistoric and Romano-British pottery, and a Roman coin. The prehistoric pottery is of a black sandy ware with reddish-brown exterior decorated with a row of four circular impressions 2.5mm wide and 2mm apart. The Roman sherds include three scraps of Black-Burnished Ware (BB1), and a New Forest Ware sherd. The coin is an antoninianus of Claudius II, 268-270 AD, Consecration type. <7> 'Enclosure' comprising diverse bounds including ? Linear. <8-9> The site of a Romano-British settlement immediately west of Badbury Rings. The site comprises an irregular banked enclosure (180m by 128m) with later medieval ridge and furrow (MDO43844). To the north is a curvilinear enclosure. Excavations on and around a circular earthwork, revealed stone roofing slabs, painted wall-plaster and over 185 coins dating from Claudius to Arcadius, but mostly of the 4th century, as well as 21 Durotrigian silver and bronze coins. Samian ware, New Forest ware and other pottery, glass beads, bronze pins, a bracelet and a brooch. These finds would suggest it was a temple. The site is visible as earthworks and was digitally plotted from aerial photographs and lidar imagery <11-12> during the Dorset Middle Stour AI&M Project.

Record last edited

Jan 12 2024 10:35AM