More information : Name SP 611645 BANNAVENTA ROMAN SETTLEMENT (R) (site of) (NAT) (1)
(SP 611646) Bannaventa walled settlement situated on Watling Street (RR 1 f), located by air photography in 1970. (2)
A section cut across the north-west perimeter in 1970-71 showed the earliest defences to have been post 1st century consisting of a ditch 25 feet wide by 10 feet deep, apparently backed by a clay and turf rampart whose existence is inferred from material in the upper filling of the ditch. Probably early in the 4th century the ditch was filled and a stone wall some 12 feet thick built. This wall has been entirely robbed; all that remains being scraps of mortar in a
robber trench which has itself been partly destroyed by modern ploughing.
Beyond the wall lay two further ditches some 17 feet wide by 8 feet deep and 14 feet wide by 6 feet deep respectively, both apparently becoming disused in or after the late 4th century. The ditch nearest the town wall seems to have been filled intentionally with gravel, perhaps to enable the addition of bastions to the wall. The site had been much damaged by bulldozing, and ploughing, but investigations in the interior revealed a 1st century circular structure, a well over 24 feet deep which had been filled in late in the Roman period and large numbers of stake and post-holes indicative of buildings. One building had pink plaster imitating marble, but no traces of stone structures were found, and the dearth of items of personal adornment gives the impression of a relatively poor community with a continuity of occupation from pre-Roman times.
Finds include a pre-Tasciovanus British coin, Roman coins mainly of the 4th century, two brooches and a small amount of Samian ware.
Discoveries outside the defences included a hearth, occasional post-holes, a cobbled area and an extensive area of ditches interpreted as stockade ditches similar to examples found at Tripontium. A series of ditches extending in date from pre-Roman times to the 2nd century was also found within the walled area. (3,4)
For further details, see Map Diagram. (5)
".....there is also positive evidence of a stone wall, but this has almost all been removed by stone robbers. I am not sure if one could state that Bannaventa is a walled settlement or a Constantinian burgus....." (6)
Name 'BANNAVENTA' accepted for 4th edition RB Map. (7)
Bannaventa, SP 612645, mentioned in Atonine Itinerary. Identification of the site disputed until early 20th century.
Weedon Dec and Daventry suggested alternatives. Finds of Roman material noted in 1712, 1822-30, and 1853 confirmed the location. Further finds and observations of a building in 1900, 1st and 2nd coins and rubbish pits including Nene Valley type barbotine decorated beakers revealed by test excavation in 1955. [RCHM plan]. (8)
(SP 611645). Samian form 37 base with the stamp `TITVRONIS' found in 1979. (9)
Illustration of defences 19, 83-6, 89, 102. (10) |