Site record MDR14702 - Roman Farmstead, Chellaston Hill, Swarkestone
Type and Period (7)
- BOUNDARY DITCH (Roman - 100 AD? to 200 AD?)
- ENCLOSURE (Roman - 100 AD? to 200 AD?)
- PIT (Roman - 100 AD? to 200 AD?)
- BEAM SLOT ? (Roman - 100 AD? to 200 AD?)
- HARD STANDING (Roman - 100 AD? to 300 AD?)
- BUILDING ? (Roman - 100 AD? to 300 AD?)
- CORN DRYING OVEN ? (Roman - 100 AD? to 300 AD?)
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Full Description
An evaluation carried out in 2012 in advance of proposed redevelopment exposed a number of features belonging to what is assumed to have been a 2nd century Roman farmstead. Trenches 4, 5 and 6 were located in the northwestern part of the evaluation area, coinciding with the results of previous geophysical work. 'The features consisted of a boundary ditch with a small adjoining enclosure. To the north of the boundary, evidence of domestic activity was recorded in the form of pits and a possible beam slot. No activity was recorded in the enclosure itself, which may have functioned as a small animal stocking enclosure.' (1)
At some point between 2016 and 2017, another evaluation was carried out by the same company that completed the 2012 work, but concentrated on the northwestern part of the development area (or Phase 1 of the development). This evaluation was comprised of 28 trial trenches, and two larger open stripped areas designed to reveal more of the established archaeology on the site. The finds recovered dated to the 2nd and 3rd centuries. 'Area 1 focused on a series of linear features, forming a ditch boundary and an enclosure, with further significant features including a yard surface, a possible associated building, a stone-lined structure; probably an oven or a corn dryer, although no in situ burning was discovered. At the eastern end of this was a metalled droveway, which was not picked up by the geophysical survey [carried out in 2012] and not understood or interpreted at the time of the 2015 evaluation. This seemed to run at the eastern extent of the archaeological remains as the trenches to the east of the droveway appeared to be negative for archaeological remains… Both phases of the evaluation revealed a small number of features to the south and southwest of the main ditches and enclosure, although these were largely limited to narrow ditches and gullies; running from north to south down the slope and probably draining away from the main boundary ditches and enclosure on the top of the hill. The large amount of domestic wares retrieved from features throughout Area 1 suggests a large farmhouse or villa in the vicinity of the ditches and enclosure, with these features representing agricultural activity consistent with a rural farmstead…' (2)
Sources/Archives (2)
- <1> SDR22438 Unpublished document: Harvey, J (ULAS). 2012. An Archaeological Evaluation at Chellaston Fields, Swarkestone, Derbyshire (SK382 295). 1.
- <2> SDR24199 Unpublished document: Hunt, L (ULAS). 2017. Archaeological Work at Chellaston Fields (Phase 1), Swarkestone, Derbyshire (NGR: SK 383 296). 125.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SK 3815 2964 (154m by 83m) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | SWARKESTONE, SOUTH DERBYSHIRE, DERBYSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (3)
- EDR3398
- EDR4662
- EDR5183
Please contact the HER for details.
External Links (0)
Record last edited
Mar 23 2021 12:48PM