| Summary : The site is a 60 hectare open settlement, with occupation from the late Iron Age and Claudian periods through to the mid 4th century. Traces of a Roman road running to a ford on the river at Sharnford were identified. Numerous finds were made in the vicinity of the road, including 1st to 4th century coins, a bronze mirror, a cinerary urn, pottery, slag, building debris and a wall 30 yards long and 2 feet thick. There were also 1st century hut circles associated with drainage gullies and rubbish pits. This level was sealed by 2nd to 3rd century occupation debris, including footings of a rectangular timber building. To the south-west of this area a Roman Conquest-period enclosure ditch was excavated, while to the east there was a 1st century cremation cemetery. Two 2nd century pottery kilns, and a late 1st or 2nd century enclosure ditch with a gateway complex was uncovered. Rubbish pits and ditches were abundant and a timber-lined shaft 9.25 metres deep was also excavated, which contained pottery, a La Tene III brooch and a silver coin of the Iceni. In the absence of any sign of ritual, it was presumed to be a well. Although occupation of this marginal part of the settlement was clearly never substantial, the quantity of finds was taken by the excavators to indicate the importance of the main settlement which lies under pasture nearer the river. Extension northwards is shown by the discovery of ditches and finds in Pool Fields. Roman burials have also been discovered in fields near the Sheepwalk. Two Roman forts are known. The larger encloses about 14.5 acres (5.8 hectares) and its defences include a triple ditch system. The smaller fort of 5.3 acres (2.1 hectares) lies within this and is surrounded by a set of four ditches. The Roman Road form Colchester to Caistor passes through both sites and its positioning suggests that the small fort was the earlier, replaced by the larger fort. |
More information : (TM 114529) Combretovivm Romano British Settlement (R) (site of). (1)
Fort at Coddenham, dating from the Boudiccan revolt. (2)
Baylham House - Combretovio of the Antonine Itinerary and Peutinger Table. (3)
Drainage work at Coddenham in 1823 between the River Gipping and the turnpike road (A140) revealed traces of a Roman road running to a ford on the river at Sharnford (RR 3c/3d). Numerous finds were made in the vicinity of the road, including 1st to 4th century coins, a bronze mirror (now in the British Museum), a cinerary urn, Samian and other pottery, slag, building debris and a wall 30 yards long and 2 feet in thickness. Moore (5) states that a building was excavated here in the early 19th century, and that field work revealed the extension of the site both north and south of Baylham Mill on thee east side of the river. Excavations from 1953 to 1956 by the Ipswich School Barclay Head Society in the area TM 113530 revealed Samian and other Roman pottery, two gold coins of Nero and Vespasian, and two 2nd century fibulae. Smedley and Aberg (9) report air photographs showing a "Roman camp crossed by road". Cutting of a water-main on Baylham House Farm in 1958 revealed pits with early Roman pottery, and one containing a pagan Saxon inhumation burial, with fragments of a skull resting on a wide-mouthed jar (11).
Clark (12) refers to refuse pits and traces of timber buildings indiicating Romanization between AD43 and AD60, and to the construction of a temporary fort after the Boudiccan revolt. Both he and Scarfe (13) mention the suggestion that Coddenham may have been the administrative centre for the canton of the Trinovantes. They also refer to a possible shrine or temple, based on the discovery of a statue to Nero. Excavations and observations in 1973, in advance of road works at TM 118528 on the eastern periphery of the site, described as a 60 hectare open settlement, revealed occupation from the late Iron Age and Claudian periods to the mid 4th century. A scatter of Mesolithic flints was found over the stripped area, also ;neolithic and Bronze Age flints and material. Belgic finds included a series of brooches and a gold plated stater of Dubnovellannus. Cut into the gravel were 1st century hut circles associated with drainage gullies and rubbish pits. This level was sealed by 2nd to 3rd century occupation debris, including footings of a rectangular timber building. To the SW of this area a Conquest-period enclosure ditch and a late Iron Age gully were excavated, while to the east a 1st century cemetery yielded cinerary urns and two broches. Two 2nd century pottery kilns were found, and a late 1st or 2nd century enclosure ditch with a gateway complex was uncovered. Rubbish pits and ditches were abundant, and finds included a series of Roman brooches. At TM 1169 5281 was a timber-lined shaft 9.25 metres deep, containing pottery, a La Tene III brooch and a silver coin of the Iceni. In the absence of any sign of ritual, it was presumed to be a well. Although occupation of this marginal part of the settlement was clearly never substantial, the quantity of finds was taken by the excavators to indicate the importance of the main settlement which lies under pasture nearer the river. Extension northwards is shown by the discovery, recorded by Brown 815), of ditches, Samian ware etc in Pool Fields (centred TM 110534). Moore (5) notes Roman burials from fields near the Sheepwalk (TM 118530). One of the pottery kilns and numerous finds are in Ipswich Museum.
Name 'COMBRETOVIVM' accepted for 4th. edition R.B.Map.
Aerial observation revealed three sides of a double or triple ditched rectilinear enclosure of at least 4.5ha, the north side being about 230.0m long. Within this are two sides of a double-ditched rectangular enclosure. Both could be Roman forts. (4-18)
Ancient Monument No.89. Scheduled area extended to include the whole of the Roman fort complex. (19)
Two Roman forts are known. The larger encloses about 14.5 acres (5.8ha) and its defences include a triple ditch system. The smaller fort of 5.3acres (2.1ha) lies within this and is surrounded by a set of four ditches. The Roman Road form Colchester to Caistor (RR3C) passes through both sites and its curiously sinuous course may have been determined by pre-existing features. From the S. the road bends slightly to cross the quadruple ditch system and then runs straight through the small fort, beyond which it bends NE and forks; the western branch passes through the gate of the large fort but the eastern branch is cut by the fort's ditches and had clearly become obsolete whe they were dug. It is possible therefore that the small fort is earlier and was replaced by the larger fort.
(20-21)
COMBRETOVIUM - The Roman settlement at Baylham House, Coddenham Suffolk. (22)
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