| Summary : Excavations at this site uncovered a long period of occupation. A late Neolthic building, pottery and lithic implements were uncovered. The Bronze Age was represented by urns found in a pit. The late Iron Age consisted of two adjoining enclosures; in the larger enclosure an aisled building (barn?) was uncovered, this remained in use into the Roman, 3rd century AD, when it was converted into a house; in the smaller enclosure were a sequence of buildings including a granary and round house. In the Roman period there were a sucession of buildings; a proto-villa may have been destroyed by Boudicca, the first masonry villa was built in c.AD 100 in the smaller Iron Age enclosure, a separate bath house and tower granary were also constructed. In the late 2nd century AD it was rebuilt as a winged-corridor villa with an internal bath suite so the old bath house was demolished; in the larger enclosure a new bath house was built, presumably for the farm workers; the enclosures were now divided into paddocks. The villa was abandoned temporarily in the 3rd century AD and though it was repaired the villa and farm buildings declined gradually, there was no Constantinian revival. The site was abandoned circa 350 AD. In the Medieval period the site was occupied by a croft. |
More information : A Roman corridor villa was discovered during excavations by the St Albans and Hertford Archaeol Soc in 1956-60 in an attempt to locate the 12th cent site of Gorhambury manor house. A complex of finds and loosely piled earth associated with a few medieval sherds may possibly be referred to the manor house but this has yet to be proved. The villa lies under the "grand avenue" (3) leading up to the present house built in 1774 (TL 11000760). It consists of three periods (see plan). Period I; mid and late 1st cent (dated from pottery), and a possible enclosure ditch. Period II; 2nd-3rd cent-house rebuilt-apsed basement room added (a coin of Hadrian and
Antonine pottery were found on its floor). Period III; 4th cent
date - both wing added. No evidence of any Belgic occupation so far (3). Excavations to continue. (1-3)
Roman villa sited from debris at TL 11750793. (4)
The earliest feature on the site is a V-shaped ditch of Belgic date which was later backfilled prior to the construction of a rectangular timber building. The plan of the building is not yet complete but the west wall measured 6 metres and was constructed of daub and wattle set on a sleeper beam. The house was rebuilt in the Antonine period and enlarged in the 4th century. The southern wing was provided with a hypocaust, a small three-roomed bath-house was also constructed and a well was situated in the inner courtyard. A medieval manor was built over the site incorporating the Roman foundations. An occupation area with a hearth containing 13th century pottery was found on the floor of a Roman room. Medieval post-holes also cut Roman foundations. The plan of the medieval house has not yet been determined. (5)
A prolonged programme of excavations have continued at this site from 1972-1979. Fifteen phases are now distinguished on this site and are numbered from 1 to 15 on the plan (FIG.10). Phases 1-5 are prehistoric and include both circular and rectangular Iron-Age huts. In Phase 6 a timber house, flanked by a substantial fence and ditch, was eventually burnt down, perhaps by Boudicca in 60. Slight traces of a rebuilding in timber belong to Phase 7. The first masonry house (Phase 8, early second century) was later extended (Phase 9, before 150). In the later second century this house was replaced by another, (Phase 10), to which wing-rooms were later added on the east side (Phase II). Some rebuilding and alterations took place in the first half of the fourth century (Phase 12). A chalk-built outbuilding north-west of the main house (Phase 13, fourth century) appears to have been open at the west end. Other structures have been provisionally located by electrical resistivity and aerial reconnaissance (a). Late Iron Age (Fig.11). The earliest features are three roughly parallel ditches (A) whose function is as yet unclear. The principal enclosure (D) post-dates the large enclosure (B), whose eastern boundary is represented by a ditch to the west of the bank forming the present field-boundary. A second ditch (C) 10m. wide, to the east of the bank, is later than B, and forms part of a defensive dyke extending to the rear of Maynes Farm as far as Prae Wood. Enclosure D was probably laid out in stages, since the north ditch is considerably shallower than those to the west and east. On the east side, part of Ditch A was filled to form a causeway protected by a gate. In the north-west corner of the large enclosure lay a sub-rectangular hut in which the primary levels yielded only native pottery, but a later level contained Gallo-Gelgic imports (b). In the early Roman period the existing enclosure and causeway remained in use, but in the late second century the west and east ditches were back filled to make room for the new masonry villa. At the same time an out-building, of sleeper-beam construction, was built over the Belgic hut (Fig. 12). It consisted of a principal room a corridor to the south and a subsidiary room to the west. It was later extended westwards over the ditch, and its walls were rebuilt on post-pads. In the south-west part of Enclosure B, a rectangular flint-built structure was erected in the late second century over an earlier timber hut. This building, whose destruction-debris contained a coin of 353 in mint condition, was replaced by a barn 24m long, represented by seven pairs of post-pads. Later, possibly after a fire, some of the posts were replaced and an aisle added along part of the north-west side. A row of post-holes along the east side, apparently extending beyond the north wall may represent a fence. At the south-east corner of the barn was a rectangular plank-lined pit c.2m long and 1m. deep, probably a latrine. Posts outside each corner supported a roof. Further east was a rectangular building of sleeper-beam construction, dating to the second century. (6-12)
Excavations continuing. (13)
Details of mosaic pavement found 1961 and removed to store in the 1970s after plough damage. (14)
Gorhambury villa. Note on the continuing excavations in 1981 on the entrances to the Iron Age enclosure and later Roman farmyard. (15)
Review of eleven seasons of excavations 1972-92. (16)
HT 52 Listed as the site of a Roman winged-corridor villa. (18) |