Monument record MDR7093 - Romano-British Farmstead II, north of Egginton Brook, Willington

A complex of cropmarks (2, 3) showing linear features and enclosures was partially excavated in 1972 by TVARC revealing, among other things, two farmsteads of the Romano-British period. (1) Isolated Romano-British features and artifacts were found over the whole excavated area at Willington. However, in two areas the concentration of finds and features within enclosures suggested centres for farming activities, although the evidence for dwellings was in both cases poor. Both date to the 2nd century: Farmstead I may begin late in the 1st century [see SMR 27909] whilst Farmstead II may continue into the 3rd century. In the case of Farmstead II, the area selected for excavation in 1972 was based on what appeared from cropmarks to be a single discrete enclosure within a larger one; however, the cropmarks proved to be misleading and the area examined probably lay between two enclosures. The site did not appear to have been ploughed in medieval times, possibly as it lay close to the parish boundary between Willington and Egginton; however perhaps as a result of more recent ploughing the features in general were very shallow. All the datable features excavated belonged to the 1st and 2nd centuries, or possibly early 3rd century AD. While no features contained large quantities of pottery or other material, many produced two or three sherds of Romano-British pottery. A number of small compounds by the stream, similar to those of Farmstead I, were identified. In addition, at the north of the site, was the only structure identified at Farmstead II. It comprised six parallel slots, the size of which indicated a building of approximately 6m square. Additional features included two post-holes. It was suggested that if these slots did in fact represent a structure, their close spacing and the evidence for additional supports indicated a heavy raised floor, suitable for a granary. To the south-east of the structure were five concentrations of large stones, each in a shallow setting. Two had post-holes dug through them, or perhaps contained posts, while the others gave the appearance of padstones, but they formed no coherent pattern and were quite unlike any other features found at Willington. Three of them contained Romano-British pottery. Other post-holes were revealed elsewhere in the excavated area, but they formed no coherent plan. Two hearths were identified, one of which had traces of the raised floors of an oven. The general range of pottery from the site covered the late 1st and 2nd centuries, with an especial bias towards the period 120-200. A few stratified sherds may indicate occupation in the 3rd centuriy but this is not certain. (4)