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Summary

The site of a Romano-British villa first identified as grass parchmarks in 1984 and recorded in some detail by geophysical survey in 2020. The villa building is winged corridor type with additional rooms which may represent a bath-house set within a double-ditched rectangular enclosure. The enclosure also has other internal divisions and features including a possible corn drying kiln.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1002668: Romano-British villa, Downes, near Crediton
• Scheduled Monument 1002668: Romano-British villa, Downes, near Crediton
• SHINE: Linear and curvilinear geophysical anomalies and cropmarks of a Roman villa and associated features at Downes

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX89NE/129
• Old SAM County Ref: 1032
• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• VILLA (Constructed, II to IV - 101 AD (Between) to 400 AD (Between))

Full description

National Monuments Record, SX8599, 1-12, 16-24, 28-35 (Aerial Photograph). SDV337752.

Griffith, F. M., 1984, DAP/AZ, 7a-10 (Aerial Photograph). SDV337751.

Griffith, F. M., 1988, A Romano-British Villa near Crediton, 137-42 (Article in Serial). SDV337748.

Roman villa site. Parchmarks in grass visible on 1984 aerial photograph showed a building in a rectilinear enclosure beside the River Yeo. The building appears to be of a simple 'E' shaped plan, with three principal rooms, a front corridor, small wings and a central porch at the front. There are additional rooms on the northeast and possible east, and further rooms on the west side where an area of heavy parching indicates a solid floor, possibly of mortar. The building is 40 metres by 18 metres with a 4 metre wide corridor, and the main rooms are 5 metres - 8 metres across. An excavated trench located a robbed out wall with the remains of only one course of masonry. This feature survived to some 0.10-0.15 metres deep and produced a sherd of Dorset black burnished ware, a tile fragment and fragments of slate. There was also an earlier scoop feature containing a flint flake. From an unstratified context came further roof slate and tile, 3 sherds of grey gritty pottery, 3 sherds of South Devon flat rimmed bowl, a sherd of Dorset black burnished plain rim dish and a sherd of New Forest red slipped ware of not earlier than the 4th century. The South Devon roofing slate suggests a date after the late 2nd century, and the buff fabric of some of the tile suggests a date after the late 3rd century. The building plan suggests more than one phase of building. Fieldwalking produced further tile and slate. The north and east sides of an enclosure around the villa survive. The west side is not visible and the south side was probably formed by a former course of the river, which has been much regularised. No ancillary buildings have been noted inside or outside the enclosure. The site is unusual in being so low lying, in an area with many 'marsh' names on the 1841 Tithe Apportionment.

Frere, S. S., 1988, Roman Britain in 1987. Sites Explored, 473 (Article in Serial). SDV99889.

Department of Environment, 1988, Romano-British Villa, Downes, near Credition (Schedule Document). SDV343241.

This monument comprises a Romano-British villa and its enclosure. The villa building is of the winged corridor type with additional rooms which may represent a bath-house. The enclosure is walled, at least in part, and occupies an estimated 0.5 hectares. Excavated evidence suggests that the villa was occupied in the fourth century AD. It is one of only three similar buildings currently recognised in Devon and its low-lying situation makes it atypical of villa location in general. Trial excavation suggests that the building is well preserved. Other details: Map.

Griffith, F. M., 1990, DAP/PZ, 3-5 (Aerial Photograph). SDV336956.

Griffith, F. M., 1990, DAP/QA, 5 (Aerial Photograph). SDV58661.

Griffith, F. M., 1990, DAP/RP, 14-15 (Aerial Photograph). SDV337754.

Griffith, F. M., 1990, DAP/TL, 9-11 (Aerial Photograph). SDV336946.

Reed, S. J., 1992, Archaeological recording of the SWW Fordton outfall sewer (Crediton), 1 (Report - Watching Brief). SDV337722.

Archaeological recording of sewer pipe 300 metres to the west found no features or finds associated with the villa, but it is possible that archaeological deposits still survive beneath the deep alluvium.

Miller, A., 1996, Untitled Source (Interpretation). SDV338628.

Rapid examination of aerial photograph shows the villa site cropmarks with the additional rooms attached to the rear and to the west of the vila (including one room which appears from the cropmarks to have a solid floor). The villa is located within a rectilinear enclosure, possibly double ditched, and with a further possible enclosure on its east side.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003, Archaeological Asssessment of Land off Charlotte Street, Crediton, 1 (Report - Assessment). SDV352118.

Young, A., 2005, Transcriptions from Winkleigh Biomass Plant National Mapping Programme (NMP) project (Cartographic). SDV321540.

The transcriptions correspond to the grid reference for PRN166304.

Young, A. & Turner, S., 2005-2006, North Devon/Winkleigh Biomass Plant National Mapping Programme (NMP) project database records, PRN166304 (Interpretation). SDV358473.

A Romano-British villa and its enclosure are visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs (p1-6). The villa building is of the winged corridor type with additional rooms which may represent a bath-house. The enclosure is walled in part, and occupies an estimated 0.5ha. Excavated evidence suggests that the villa was occupied in the 4th century AD. Scheduled. Further faint cropmarks 40m east of the villa site are visible on some aerial photos of the site (p6). These lie on a similar alignment to that of the villa enclosure. The features were digitally plotted as part of the National Mapping Programme.
Photograph references:
1. DCC DAP/AZ7A- 8-10 04-JUL-1984
2. DCC DAP/PZ 3-5 07-MAR-1990
3. DCC DAP/QA 5 09-MAR-1990
4. DCC DAP/RP 14-15 15-JUN-1990
5. DCC DAP/TL 9-11 27-JUL-1990
6. DCC DAP/AF 5 27-JUL-1984

Morton, R., 2006, Land south of Exeter Road, Crediton: Archaeological desk-based assessment and archaeological recording, 10-11 (Report - Assessment). SDV337718.

Roman villa (Site 4) to the southeast of Crediton. Other details: Fig 2 & Appendix A.

National Monuments Record, 2009, 918313 (National Monuments Record Database). SDV337750.

Site of a Roman winged-corridor villa located within a rectilinear enclosure, seen as cropmarks and trial-trenched. Other details: SX89NE 19.

English Heritage, 2009, Heritage at Risk Register 2009: South West, 102 (Report - non-specific). SDV342694.

Extensive significant problems, ie under plough, collapse.

Adam, N. + Warman, S., 2009, Land South of Exeter Road, Wellparks Farm, Crediton, Devon. Archaeological Evaluation on Behalf of Tesco Stores Limited, 12 (Report - Evaluation). SDV344452.

Archaeological evaluation undertaken on land south of Exeter Road at Well Parks Farm revealed no evidence indicative of structures or activity contemporary with the villa.

English Heritage, 2010, Heritage at Risk Register 2010: South West, 94 (Report - non-specific). SDV344777.

English Heritage, 2011, Heritage at Risk Register 2011: South West, 90 (Report - non-specific). SDV355280.

Extensive significant problems, ie under plough, collapse. Declining.

Salvatore, J. P. + Kaye, S. + Stocker, S. + Toller, H., 2019, Observations on the Roman Road between Exeter, North Tawton and Okehampton, 315 (Article in Serial). SDV364830.

It is reasonable to believe that a road would have connected this villa to the civitas capital at Exeter, possibly a direct successor of the military road.

Edwards, M. + Trick, S., 2020, An archaeological magnetometer and resistance survey: Downes Villa, near Crediton, Devon (Report - Geophysical Survey). SDV363700.

Magnetometer and resistivity geophysical surveys were undertaken as part of a programme of archaeological investigations to better understand the plan and extent of the Roman villa and its immediate surroundings in order to inform landscape management decisions.
Seventy eight anomaly groups were recorded which potentially relate to buried archaeology. In particular the villa building was located and its basic layout was recorded in some detail. A double enclosure around the building was also defined together with some internal divisions and features. A potentially contemporary field/drainage system was recorded around the villa.
The survey also indicated that the villa has been cut through by a later field boundary.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4151 - Site of Proposed Tesco Store at Crediton
• EDV4617 - Archaeological Evaluation of Land at Wellparks Farm, Crediton
• EDV7455 - Winkleigh Biomass Plant National Mapping Programme
• EDV8286 - An archaeological magnetometer and resistance survey at Downes Villa near Crediton

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