More information : 'At Stanchester Field, in the parish of Chilton Candover, about a mile NW. of the village .... Here were foundations, and pottery and tiles have been noticed lying freely on the surface. The name is significant .... The foundation, (I am told), were rooted up to supply flints for a neighbouring church. (1)
'Stanchester is an undoubted Roman encampment'. (2)
In a charter of AD.900-1, whereby Eadward grants land to Hyde Abbey, is the bound mark : 'to them Stan Cistele'; 'to the Stone Castle'. This has been identified with Stanchester a field NE. of Lone Barn and 1 mile due N. of Chilton Candover. (3)
'Stanchester villa .... a long way from the road ... Three low ridges are seen in a ploughed field, the the surface of which is covered with flints, tiles - stone and baked but relatively little pottery. The largest site in the district, implying a villa. (4)
Basingstoke Museum has from here roof and hypocaust tiles, window glass, wall-plaster, and 1st-4th century pottery including Flavian and 2nd. c. samian, pseudo-samian, New Forest and red wares. (5)
(SU 58044108) Sited on tracing of OS 6". "It is under plough again and shews endless ridge-tiles and stone." (6)
The site of the villa is clearly marked in this arable field by the sparse growth of the crop and a heavy scatter of tile, both roofing and combed, with abundant flints and pieces of stone. The site falls on high ground sloping to the west. (7)
(SU 58044108) ROMAN BUILDING (R) (site of) (8)
The farmer, E.B.Jackson, of Robeys Fm. Brown Candover, confirmed the O.S. published siting. He retains a large amount of material which he has collected from the site over a number of years found over a large area. The finds include: 1 coin of Constantine (306-337 A.D.) 1 coin of Carausius (286-294 A.D.) Numerous iron nails and iron fittings. Pottery, including samian (one piece of 'brown' samian is stamped RITOGINUS who is thought to have worked c. 200 A.D.), imitation samian or colour coated ware, gritted mortaria and coarse wares. Roof tiles both tegulae and imbrex. Stone roofing slabs with nauk holes for hanging. Vessel glass. Oyster shells and animal bones. In 1965, Jackson dug a few exploratory holes and found a large amount of burnt material and consequently regards the building to have been destroyed by fire. (9)
The villa is at the southern end of the extensive Wodmancott Down field system. The Woodmancott field system appears to be a regular system laid out on linear ditches, some of which lead to the Roman building at Candover and are presumbably associated with the villa (See SU 54 SE 4 for illustration made from aerial photograph transcripts). (10)
HA 28 Listed as the site of a Roman villa. (11)
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