HER 361 DESCRIPTION:-

Scheduling Description:-Formerly referred to as SAM344.

The monument which falls into two areas divided by a railway line, includes the largely buried remains of a Roman small town which has two main components: a rectangular defended enclosure adjacent to the Foss Way and a small settlement lying around a broad north-south roadway running parallel to and about 560m to the west of the Foss. The site lies about 1.5km to the north of the town of Moreton-in-Marsh.

The rectangular enclosure covers about 4ha, the ditches and banks of which are still visible, although considerably degraded. The ditch appears as a broad depression varying between 30m and 50m in width and up to 1.5m in depth. On the western side the ditch is 20m wide and 1m deep, overlain by traces of medieval cultivation in the form of ridge and furrow. The enclosure lies immediately to the west of the original line of the Foss Way, which is visible from the air as a cropmark running south west to north east across the fields. Aerial photographs show the road as a band of metalling between 8m and 10m wide with intermittent traces of flanking ditches. Within the enclosure, crop marks indicate a number of streets, metalled and up to 5m wide, following the alignment of the enclosure sides and the Foss Way. The settlement within the enclosure is divided into six regular insulae, each of about 0.7ha in area. The northernmost of the east-west streets can be seen to run beyond the eastern part of the settlement to form a T-junction with the Foss Way.

The presence of a Romano-British settlement site at Dorn has been recognised from the early 17th century and numerous finds were reported from the site over the following 200 years. When the railway line was constructed during the 19th century, archaeological discoveries included building foundations, pits and wells, along with two altar-shaped sculptures. One of these depicts a genius and the other a genius wearing a mural crown and carrying a cornucopia and patera. The site was part excavated between 1937 and 1939 by Lieutenant RK Morcom, during which a stone-built rectangular structure divided into four rooms with a tiled roof was discovered. Associated finds included painted wall plaster and some coarse tesserae, indicating that there was a building with a tessellated pavement nearby. Trenching to the south of the building revealed evidence for further structures. Below these levels was a floor associated with a timber building of later second to early third century. Finds from the excavations included coins dating from the reign of Hadrian (AD117-138) to the early fifth century, along with pottery of a 1st to 4th century date.

In 1994 the Royal Commission on the Historic Monuments of England undertook a topographic survey and aerial photographic transcription. This focused on the western side of the enclosure, revealing a robber trench following the line of the ditch, and a gap in the line of the trench which is thought to indicate the position of a gate. Despite the shape of the fortified enclosure and indications of a planned street grid, there is no evidence that Dorn was ever a military base.

The survey also noted the cropmarks of ditched enclosures integrated with the broad tracks of lanes covering an area of about 4.5ha and lying 200m to the west of the defended enclosure. The common alignment of the cropmarks in this area with the lines of the defences and the Foss Way suggest some form of continuity and planned development. The cropmarks are also thought to indicate a lengthy period of occupation, with many intersecting ditches suggestive of episodes of recutting and alignment. Roman pottery and coins have been found in these fields during the 20th century.

Excluded from the scheduling are all post and wire fences, wooden post fences, metal and wooden gates and their gateposts, although the ground beneath all these features is included. {Source Work 2873.}

Historic Towns Survey: -

The site was visited by AD and VD 31 January 1997 and was found to be under cultivation. There was no visible evidence for archaeological remains over the area of the site.

Misc: -

17th century - The site's existence was already recognised in the 17th century {pers comm. Mr HEM Icely.}

1937 - Excavations at "e" (SP 2053 3380) in 1937 by R K Morcom showed occupation from the 1st to 5th century and revealed a stone building with corridor, tiled roof and some tesserae, belonging to the late period.

1937-1939 - Iron cauldron chain and hanger of Great Chesterford type recovered from the 1930s excavations at Dorn by Morcom detailed in a British Museum catalogue where the artefact is now held. This is dated to the 4th century, though it is uncertain why this should be the case. A pair of exceptionally large steelyards were also recovered at the same time. The measured details of the two steelyards suggests that they were intended as a pair for weighing a range of loads with accuracy. These were recovered in a layer of green silt about 12 inches thick above the primary floor of a building at the site. The example was apparently found in the remains of a building at the settlement. {Source Work 11225.}

The exact location of this partial excavation remains unknown so this event will remain attached to the monument {AM 02/12/2014.}

1982 - Two groups of fieldwalking finds deposited at Corinium Museum. They included sherds of Samian, black-burnished ware, Oxford colour-coated and numerous coarse wares. Also included were a bronze pin, bronze tweezer arm, slag and fired clay. {Source Work 686.}

1983- The iron cauldron chain and hanger is more or less or complete and comparable to material from the famed Great Chesterford and Appleford hoards of material. This is noted within a general review of Iron Age and Roman period cauldron chains from across the country as Great Chesterford type, late Roman date from small hoard in the villa. {Source Work 11267.}

1984 - Ninety five Roman coins collected by Mr S Righton were examined by Dr R Reece and the records deposited with Corinium Museum. {Source Work 1023.}

1994 - An earthwork survey was carried out in 1994 by the RCHME at Dorn Roman Town and was combined with the aerial photograph transcripts avalible at the time. The survey showed that there are no traces of mettalled streets beyound the defended site and that the site extended on both sides of the modern railway line. {Source Work 6076.}

1995 - Cotswold Archaeological Trust implemented a watching brief in 1995 to monitor the digging of land drainage trenches. No archaeological features were encountered during the excavation of the drainage trenches and there was no damage to the scheduled ancient monument. {Source Work 2964.}

A major Romano-British settlement or town at Dorn is marked by an oblong enclosure of some 4ha butting on the Foss Way. The massively ditched enclosure, unlike any civil site in this area, may have been a fort. The north and south sides are each defined by an inner bank 0.3m to 0.6m high, spread to a width of about 30m and standing 0.9m to 1.5m above a ditch, apparently 45m to 60m across, with a counterscarp bank beyond. On the east, downhill from the agger of the Foss Way, the ditch line is filled. At the south west corner the ditch line is corrugated by ridge and furrow, and north of the railway cutting its line is marked only by feeble and disturbed scarps. Inside the enclosure, cropmarks suggest a wall extending south east from "B" (SP 20623389) and a rectangular pattern of paved road.

Finds included 1st century pottery, 2nd century Samian ware, two steelyards, a turnspit and other iron objects, mainly agricultural. Finds recorded at other times include two carved panels, one depicting a genius, found during construction of the railway, many coins, mostly of the 3rd and 4th century and pottery from the fields to the west and south. {Source Work 862.}

The ramparts and ditch on the north, east and south sides of the Roman town at Dorn appear as broad, low undulations within a pasture field, the result of years of ploughing. On the west side, the inner rampart has been reduced to an outward-facing scarp, 1.0m to 1.5m in height, extant for 70.0m only, from the northwest corner. A fragment of the ditch 20m in width and 0.2m in depth is visible, 40.0m from the north west corner. Nothing was seen in the area of the cropmarks. {Source Work 862.}

Aerial photographic cover of site held by the National Monuments Record and Cambridge UIniversity collections. A plan of the buildings and finds in the Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershir Archaeological Society 82. {Source Work 1249.}

Certain finds were sent to a Canadian Museum - Royal Museum in Ottawa? - details with Blockley Antiquarian Society. {Source Work 902.}

A large Samian bowl - F37 - signed CENSORINI in design - c150-180 in Birmingham Museum.

Other finds in Royce collection, including stamped Samian. {Source Works 2719 and 902.}

Original line of Fosse Way passes through scheduled area - see HER 6561. The large field enclosing Dorn on the 1955 6" Ordnance Survey map has now been subdivided with one area given over to arable. This ploughed area affects part of the south and east defences and a large part of the interior. {Source Work 470.}

The name Dorn probably means 'fort' or 'gate'. {Source Work 3075.}

Finds included: 1st century pottery including butt-beaker and Samian; Samian ware of the 2nd century with potters' stamps; much calcite-gritted ware, some with finger pressed bands, and colour-coated ware; two steelyards and an ornamental spit (now in Birmingham Museum on loan from British Museum) from a late 2nd century level, and other iron objects, mainly agricultural; also fragments of glass and of pewter. Finds recorded at other times include many coins, mostly of the 3rd and 4th centuries, limestone and other building stone, and part of a rotary quern. Pottery has been noted in the field west of the railway cutting and can be found outside the enclosure on the south. Some of the surviving finds are in private possession. {Source Work 403.}

Cambridge University aerial photography coverage features seem to be overlain by traces of ridge and furrow and are of possible Roman date (Camb index suggests a Deserted Medieval Village). Slight traces only. Source Works 2930 and 2932 show the best detail of 'main street' aligned northeast to southwest with short side branches set at right angles to it. These 'side roads' have very fine traces of rectangular settings adjoining them and small internal rectangular divisions (best visible at SP 2022 3382) suggest settlement. The 'main street' is to the west of the Fosse Way but on the same alignment as this major Roman routeway. The regularity of these cropmark features and their relationship to ridge and furrow covering the same area all suggest a Roman date. Possibly an area of extramural settlement associated with the walled town. {pers comm S Brown} {Source Works 2930, 2932 and 3140.}

Land use uncertain on Ordnance Survey composite features are not traceable. Only very slight traces of ridge and furrow visible in south part of field - ridge and furrow is traceable in surrounding area.{pers comm S Brown} {Source Work 2932.}

AREA ASSESSMENT: -

Majority of site ploughed. {Source Work 470.}

Unusual site and deserves attention. Full pres.and removal from cult. {Source Work 470.}

(PRN 8687 and 'Finds <> Acc.nos. 1983/26/1-18 and 1983/27/1-2' quoted on HER Amendment sheet but not verified.)

2008 - Gloucestershire NMP (Cotswold & Forest of Dean)

332841 (SP 23 SW 4) - (SP 206 338) ROMAN BUILDINGS (R) (Site of)

A major Romano-British settlement or town at Dorn is marked by an oblong enclosure of some 10 acres butting on the Foss Way. The massively ditched enclosure, unlike any civil site in this area, may have been a fort, and the name Dorn probably means "fort". The north and south sides are each defined by an inner bank 1 foot to 2 foot high, spread to a width of about 100 feet and standing 3 foot to 5 foot above a ditch, apparently 150 feet to 200 feet across, with a counterscarp bank beyond. On the east, downhill from the agger of the Foss Way, the ditch line is filled. At the SW corner the ditch line is corrugated by ridge-and-furrow, and north of the railway cutting its line is marked only by feeble and disturbed scarps. Inside the enclosure, crop-marks suggest a wall extending SE from "b" (SP 20623389) and a rectangular pattern of paved roads. Excavations at "e" (SP 2053 3380) in 1937 by R K Morcom showed occupation from the 1st to the 5th centuries, and revealed a stone building with corridor, tiled roof and some tesserae, belonging to the late period. Finds included 1st century pottery, 2nd century Samian ware, two steelyards, a turnspit (now in Birmingham Museum) and other iron objects, mainly agricultural. Finds recorded at other times include two carved panels, one depicting a genius, found during construction of the railway, many coins, mostly of the 3rd and 4th centuries, and pottery from the fields to the west and south.

The ramparts and ditch on the north, east and south sides of the Roman town at Dorn appear as broad, low undulations within a pasture field, the result of years of ploughing. On the west side, the inner rampart has been reduced to an outward-facing scarp, 1.0m to 1.5m in height, extant for 70.0m only, from the northwest corner. A fragment of the ditch 20.0m in width and 0.2m in depth is visible, 40.0m from the northwest corner. (Surveyed at 1:2500). Nothing was seen in the area of the crop marks.

SP 207 338. Site mentioned in review of Romano-British urban defences.

McWhirr observes that, whilst the RCHM(E) and Morcom describe the structure excavated in 1937 as a 'corridor building', there seems to be no evidence on the excavation plan [included] of anything that could be interpreted as a corridor.

"At the Romano walled settlement of Dorn cropmarks are apparent on the west side of the Roman road...... their alignment and layout would suggest an extra-mural extension of the Dorn Roman complex."

The defended Romano-British settlement at Dorn was surveyed by RCHME staff during November 1994 at the request of the Cotswold Archaeological Trust.

Dorn is the largest of five defended 'Small Towns' on the line of the Foss Way between Cirencester and Lincoln. The site may have extended over an area of 15 ha, the settlement os unusual in that it concentrates on one side of the Foss Way rather than having the major through route within it.

This site was included in a survey carried out by the Air Photography Unit of RCHME between October and December 1993, prior to the field survey described by authority 8 above.

The town defences were clearly visible as a darker crop-mark representing a broad ditch. It appears to extend beyond the Foss Way, but its precise relationship with this Roman road could not be ascertained from the photographs alone. The oblique photographs consulted during the survey, clearly showed a network of perpendicular streets within the main defences and linear crop-marks at SP20733381 suggest a rectangular building. (Event UID 1030518, Collection UID 1030519).

Recent aerial photography (10a) shows the cropmarks of this site, including the street pattern. The defences are visible on the north, south and east sides, the ditch on the east side apparently responsible for the lack of connection between the town and the Foss Way. Also visible are numerous linear features, some forming enclosures on the east side of the Foss Way.

The defences, internal streets and traces of at least one possible building have been mapped from aerial photographs, including tohse cited as authorities 3 and 10a, by English Heritage's Gloucestershire NMP. On the eastern side, at SP 2079 3382 and SP 2077 3376, two possible gaps in the outer rampart may represent gates, associated with short sections of road linked to the Foss Way (see SP 23 SW ??; UID ??????).

The external enclosures mentioned by authorities 7 and 10 appear to belong to an earlier phase of occupation, and have been recorded separately (SP 23 SW 55; UID 1472751).

1472751 (SP 23 SW 55) - SP 2077 3366. Rectilinear enclosures of Roman or Iron Age date, located adjacent to the south and east sides of Dorn Roman town, are visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs and have been mapped by English Heritage's Gloucestershire NMP. The enclosures are arranged in a regular pattern. Many share a common alignment with the Roman town and the Foss Way, suggesting that the enclosures may represent an extra mural settlement. However, the enclosures to the south of Dorn, at SP 2063 3369, lie on a slightly different alignment to, and apparently beneath, the town rampart, suggesting an earlier date. The form of all the enclosures is consistent with either a Roman or an Iron Age date.

In 1947 the field where the enclosures are located was covered by slight ridge and furrow. The enclosures have appeared since the ridges were levelled by ploughing.

1030530 (SP 23 SW 29) - SP 2025 3390. The Air Photography Unit of RCHME carried out a 1:2,500 photogrammetric survey of the area around Dorn Roman town, between October and December 1993. Crop-marks indicate an westward extension of the Roman town, outside of the main defenses. This area of settlement is laid out along a central trackway defined by two ditches and running NNE-SSW, parallel with the Foss Way to the east. Turning off this central trackway are several other ditched trackways, at least two of which turn south eastward towards the enclosed town. The layout of these trackways is far less formal than the streets within the enclosed town proper and it is felt that this area of settlement probably represents an exra-mural suburb of Dorn Roman town (Record No. SP23SW 4). (Event UID 1030518, Collection UID 1030519).

The trackways and enclosures described by authority 1 have been mapped from aerial photographs by English Heritage's Gloucestershire NMP. The straight trackways and rectilinear enclosures are arranged in a regular pattern, sharing a common alignment with the Roman town of Dorn and the Foss Way, which are located to the east. This common alignment suggests that the enclosures may represent an extra mural settlement associated with Dorn, although the form of the enclosures could also belong to the pre Roman Iron Age. In 1947 the field where the enclosures are located was covered by slight ridge and furrow. The enclosures have appeared since the ridges were levelled by ploughing. {Source Work 4249.}