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Summary

Extensive occupation on both sides of the river, here the county boundary

Monument Types

• OCCUPATION SITE (Late Iron Age to Late Roman - 100 BC to 409 AD)

Associated Finds

• COIN (Late Iron Age to Late Roman - 100 BC to 409 AD)

Associated Events

• Geophysical survey at Newhall Farm and Valley Farm, Sarratt, 1976-77

Full description

Finds of Roman pottery, tile, and quernstone. Approximately 200 Roman coins and other metal objects have been found by a metal detector user on the site; and some late Iron Age pottery <1>. Geophysical survey revealed the existence of ditches and possibly some pits. The high resistance background of the gravels has probably obscured any evidence of wall foundations <3>. See <5> for the considerable extent of the geophysical surveying, which has demonstrated change in the course of the river and the presence of Roman buildings; and <6> for small finds. 'This Roman occupation site is more extensive than originally thought'; the Roman coins are largely 1st and 2nd century but they cover the whole Roman period <6>. See [893].
Work in 2010 in the watermeadow on the south side of the river (in Bucks) found dumps of Roman building materials and pottery, but nothing in situ <7>. The dumps appeared to have been deposited in the Roman period, rather than later.
Work in 2011 in the same area south of the river (Mount Wood Field) revealed two ditches (late Iron Age/early Roman, and mid 2nd to early 3rd century) containing a good deal of pottery, third century coins, quernstones and metalwork; and an infant burial <8, 9>.

There is indirect evidence that a Roman road from Verulamium crossed the river Chess here, heading SW into Buckinghamshire towards the river Thames <10>.

<1> CBA Group 10 Newsletter,1962, p9 (Bibliographic reference). SHT2390.

<2> Information, Chess Valley Archaeological & Historical Society, 1976 (Unpublished document). SHT2455.

<3> Griffiths, P, 1977, Geophysical survey report, Sarratt, Herts, RNO 1136 (Report). SHT3932.

<4> Hunn, Jonathan R, 2001, Chilterns Chalk Streams Project: Chess & Misbourne valleys. An archaeological assessment, RNO 1531 (Report). SHT14061.

<5> Gover, John, 2008, Holloway Lane, Chenies: a geophysical survey; Chess Valley Journal 2008, 8-11 (Article in serial). SHT9561.

<6> Gover, John, 2008, Metal detecting and Valley Farm, Sarratt Bottom: a positive result; Chess Valley Journal 2008, 25-8 (Article in serial). SHT8203.

<7> Edwards, Yvonne, 2010, Further archaeological investigation at the Romano-British settlement at Valley Farm, Sarratt, June 2009; Chess Valley Journal 30, 16-21 (Article in serial). SHT4010.

<8> Edwards, Yvonne, Gover, John, & Wells, Marion, 2012, Continued exploration of the Roman-British villa site at Sarratt. Ditches and burials in Mount Wood Field; Chess Valley Journal 32, 3-12 (Article in serial). SHT5632.

<9> West, Jim, 2012, The Roman coins found at Mount Wood Field - Chenies; Chess Valley Journal 32, 13-18 (Article in serial). SHT5633.

<10> Gover, John, 2017, A 'Roman' road and earthwork discoveries in Pollards Wood, Chalfont St Giles: a LIDAR interpretation; Chess Valley Journal 37, 11-16 (Article in serial). SHT18088.

Sources and further reading

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