HER 2510 DESCRIPTION:- A small Romano-British settlement along Akeman Street at the Coln crossing is indicated by quantities of 2nd -4th century pottery picked up there. Finds from the field called "The Chessles" on the E slope of the valley include 55 3rd and 4th century coins, and the field called "Coin Slade" just NE of Coneygar Farm has also yielded pottery and coins. Traces of buildings are sometimes visible on the W bank of the drain at SP13610535 and Romano-British pottery has been recovered from mole-hills E of the drain. At SP13660536 the embossed gold bezel of a ring, 28 coins, mostly 4th century, and many sherds of the same period were found in 1952 during the cutting of a section across the Roman road at SP13640537. A Roman pavement at "Coln Alwins, on which were annealed Caesars' heads' is referred to by Aubrey. 4th century spoon and brooch, found in this area by ED Atkinson in 1943 and 1945, are now in the Ashmolean Museum. The site is marked on the ground by a scatter of worked limestone blocks from buildings, and by Samian ware and 3rd-4th century coarse pottery. A remarkable collection of almost complete Samian vessels at least 10 of them stamped, were found near the settlement in 1958, and are now in the Corinium Museum. {Source Work 862.} An abundance of surface pottery sherds and oyster shells were picked up during field investigation within the area indicated. It seems likely from the greater concentration of material alongside the River Coln at SP13640537 that the nucleus of the settlement is here, although there is no trace of the buildings. Most of the finds in Cirencester Museum also the embossed gold bezel of a ring (Acc No A372) and a three-quarter inch diameter bronze ring (Acc No 358). There is nothing, in, or on the banks of the River Coln to indicate the crossing place of Akeman Street. Mrs Atkinson is now deceased.{Source Work 862.} See also HER 4507 Roman building (part of this settlement) and HER 4508 Roman road; Area visible on OS composite no clear indication of archaeological features.{pers comm S Brown} Quantities of pottery some 2nd-mostly 3rd-4th century and a 4th century spoon picked up on the surface are finds indicating small settlement each side of Akeman St where it crosses the Coln {Source Work 902.} Romano-British sherds including colour-coated ware, imitation Rhenish, grey ware and shell gritted. Roman coins listed:AEs of Constantine I and AEs of Constantine II in Gloucester City Museum.{Source Work 553.} Very dense scatter of Romano-British pottery on bank of river Coln and some probable building stone scattered across the slope.{Source Work 470.} Areas of settlement grew up along some Roman roads in a kind of ribbon development as...Coln St Aldwyns and Quenington.(pxliv)(Glos SMR 4508) The Roman settlements on Akeman Street, Coln St Aldwyns {Source Work 862.} and Quenington {Source Work 1003.} 200 yards apart are divided by the now marshy floor of the Coln valley. Roman coins in Corinium Museum have been collected from both sites. (p36) Romano-British settlement (SP140055), Coln St Aldwyns {Source Work 862.}, the Chessels{Source Work 1288.} lies about 325foot OD in arable, on an E-W terrace above the River Coln (plan, p96, sv Quenington). It is marked by building debris in the form of large limestone blocks, pottery of the 2nd to 4th century; 3rd and 4th centruy coins, and other small finds made along and immediately N of Akeman Street, over a length of 300yards or more. Similar debris is scattered in a restricted area on the S of the Roman road, at the W limit of settlement (SP13840540). Small finds include a fragment of glass a 4th century tinned bronze spoon with a ring-and-dot ornament, and 3rd to 4th century coarse pottery; these are in the Ashmolean Museum. Part of the neck of a coarse-ware flagon in the form of a woman's head, and bronze coins of Constantine I and Constantine II are in Gloucester City Museum.(p37) Probable settlement (SP135054) Quenington, Romano-British, Coin Slade (alternative names are Quoin Slade or Cold Slad) {Source Work 1288.} lies on both sides of Akeman Street as it descends to the River Coln and is marked on the ground by a scatter of worked limestone blocks from buildings, and by samian ware and 3rd to 4th century coarse pottery. A limited excavation in 1951-2 in the area around SP13670538 yielded a quantity of coarse pottery largely of 4th century date and including a few stamped sherds; also 28 coins ranging from Gallienus to Valens and the gold bezel of a ring inscribed CONCORDIA. Roman coins in Corinium museum from this site are not distinguished from others recovered at Coln St. Aldwyns. A remarkable collection of almost complete samian vessels, at least ten of them with potters' stamps, was found near the settlement in 1958, this pottery is in the Corinium museum.(p96){Source Work 403.} AREA MANAGEMENT :- All site ploughed.{Source Work 470.} 2009 Cotswold Hills/South Cotswold NMP (SP 13940550) Roman Coins found. (Centred SP 137054) A small Romano-British settlement along Akeman Street at the Coln crossing is indicated by quantities of 2nd to 4th century pottery picked up there. Finds from the field called "The Chessels" on the astward slope of the valley include fifty-five 3rd and 4th century coins, and the field called "Coin Slade" just NE of Coneygar Farm has also yielded pottery and coins. Traces of buildings are sometimes visible on the west bank of the drain (at "A" - SP 3610535), and Romano-British pottery has been recovered from mole-hills east of the drain (at "B" - SP 13660536). The embossed gold bezel of a ring, twenty-eight coins, mostly 4th century, and many sherds of the same period were found in 1952 during the cutting of a section across the Roman road (at "C" - SP 13640537) A Roman pavement at "Coln Alwins, on which were annealed Caesars' heads" is referred to by Aubrey. A 4th century spoon and brooch, found in this area by E D Atkinson in 1943 and 1945, are now in the Ashmolean Museum. The site is marked on the ground by a scatter of worked limestone blocks from buildings, and by Samian ware and 3rd to 4th century coarse pottery. A remarkable collection of almost complete Samian vessels, at least ten of them stamped, was found near the settlement in 1958, and is now in the Corinium Museum. An abundance of surface pottery sherds and oyster shells were picked up during field investigation within the area indicated. It seems likely from the greater concentration of material along side the River Coln at SP 13640537 that the nucleus of the settlement is here, although there is no trace of the buildings. Most of the pottery and coins are in Cirencester Museum also the embossed gold bezel of a ring (Acc No A372) and a three-quarter inch diameter bronze ring (Acc No 358). There is nothing in, or on the banks of the river Coln, to indicate the crossing place of Akeman Street. A rapid examination of air photography suggests the presence of a number of linear features and the apparent negative cropmark of a building, visible either side of Akeman Street, on the site of the settlement. An examination of all available aerial photographs confirmed the presence of the features identified by the previous authority, which have now been mapped as part of the South Cotswolds NMP project. The presence of a Romano-British settlement associated with the Akeman Street crossing of the River Coln is also discussed in the Gloucestershire HER (2510; 4507; 4508). It appears that evidence from finds suggests a location either in 'Coin Slade' field north-east of Coneygar Farm (centred at SP 1347 0533); and/or 'The Chessels' field further again to the northeast (centred at SP 1404 0549), on the northern bank of the River Coln. As far as evidence from aerial photography is concerned, possible settlement cropmarks are visible only in 'Coin Slade' field. These include an indistinct cropmark of a linear bank aligned WSW-ENE representing the line of the Akeman Street Roman road (HOB UID: 972597); flanked on either side by a vague conglomeration of cropmarks which may be the robbed-out remains of a settlement. This possible settlement area of cropmarks is centred at SP 1346 0533, and is c.220m long in line with the Roman road; and c.18-74m NNW-SSE. In addition, the previous authority identified the negative cropmarks of a possible building and a linear feature, both of which are visible on the aerial photographs to the north of the Roman road. The possible building is centred at SP1348 0542 and measures c.19m x c.7m. The negative cropmark consists of a very straight, regular rectangle with the southwestern corner missing (Gloucestershire HER: 4507). It is roughly aligned with the course of the Roman road, and lies c.77m NNE of it. The negative cropmark of the linear feature which lies c.40-44m to the NNE of the Roman road runs approximately parallel to the road from SP 1335 0534 to 1355 0540. The proximity to, and alignment with the road shown by the cropmarks of the building; linear; and possible settlement nucleus flanking the road suggests that these features may all be part of the Romano British settlement thought to be associated with the point at which Akeman Street Roman road crosses the River Coln. {Source Work 4249.} 2023 - In June 2023 a walker reported finding sherds of Roman pottery at SP 135 053, where the public footpath crosses Akeman Street. {Pers Com from M.O.P 19/06/23.} |