More information : TQ 0617 Lickford - bath house and other remains probably of a villa. (1)
A Ro building at Lickfold, Wiggonholt, was excavated 1937 and 1939 and there is little doubt that it was a bath house. There is no evidence for occupation on the site prior to AD 100 and the building was probably constructed c AD 125. Repairs and alterations appear to have taken place c AD 175 and c AD 300 and it was destroyed by fire soon after AD 364. There are definite indications in the soil of three Ro buildings apart from the one excavated. All the finds are at Parham Park. (2-3)
Earlier evidence of Ro occupation of the area had been afforded by finds of 1st - 4th c AD coins, some Samian and Castor ware and fragments of Belgic pottery in 1929 to the E of the Pulborough -Storrington road towards the bottom of the slope to the River Stor at 'C' TQ 06571724 (4-6), Ro material, including Samian sherds and coins of Titus and Antoninus Pius in 1929 on Hurston Warren on the E side of the Stor at 'D' TQ 06821723 (4-7), considerable amounts of Ro pottery, 1st-4th c AD coins, Ro Roofing tile and brick and some fragments of Belgic pottery in 1930 and 1937 in a field W of the Pulborough-Storrington road at 'E' TQ 06381723, (4-6)(8) and, more recently, a Ro lead cistern, possibly 4th c, found 1943 during deepening of drainage ditches on the River Arun floodplain, 500 yards NW of the building site, at 'F' TQ 06061776,(9) and a rubbish pit of 1st c RB material found in the river bank at Wickford Bridge, through erosion, about 1962, RB pottery and ceramics fd in 1938 (Area TQ 068171 'K'). In 1964, a rescue excavation by Worthing Museum on behalf of the MOW along the re-alignment of the A283 at Wiggonholt revealed evidence of occupation along the full 3/4 mile of new road both N and S of the bath house. (2-15)
(Area centred 'B' TQ 064175) The occupation was represented by pits, post-holes and ditches spread for a considerable distance, and industrial installations of uncertain use were also revealed including a pedastal kiln resembling a pottery kiln but containing no wasters with, nearby, an oven with a chamber, 1ft in diameter. A furnace with ironstone base stood beside a timber building measuring 50 x 18 ft. An inurned cremation was found a in a pit S of the bath house.
An extensive industrial settlement occupying the ridge of high ground running N from Wiggonholt between the Arun and Chilt Valleys. Recent resistivity surveys have indicated rubbish pits and a kiln to the W of the road, and extensive foundations near Lickfold Farm at approx TQ 06501720 'H' may be the site of the villa. Mr Shirlow, the farmer at Lickfold, indicated the site of the bath house at TQ 06471756 'A'. (Surveyed at 1:2500). The 1930 finds and those of 1964 are in Worthing Museum.
The lead cistern is at Parham House in the possession of Mrs Clive Pearson, and is 30" diam, and 19" high. Mr Shirlow confirmed the findspot as given by Authy 9, on the OS 6". Mrs Browne (a) indicated the approx findspot of the rubbish pit found c 1962 on the OS 6" at TQ 06461803 'G', and one at TQ 06541819 'J' found 1970 in the garden of Mr J S Lee, Mare Hill. Several other pits have also been located. (16)
Full report on the 1964 excavations by Worthing Museum together with a consideration of previous Roman period discoveries in the Pulborough area. Some Beaker sherds and a barbed and tanged flint arrowhead also found. (17)
Discussion of the `British' Samian Ware from the site. (18)
Discussion of Roman lead tanks from Britain, including that from Pulborough, which bears the chi-rho monogram among other decoration. (19)
Notes on the pottery kilns discovered in the 1964 excavations and others nearby. (20)
Notes on Roman fine wares from the site. (21)
Additional references. (22-24)
Excavations in the 1930s and 1960s have uncovered the remains of a bath house and industrial site; possible pottery kilns and evidence for metalworking have been recovered from the site. No direct evidence for the presence of a villa has been recovered; it may have been located just to the east of the bath-house and been destroyed by flooding. When the River Stor was dredged much archaeological material was recovered, though this may represent a rubbish dump. The villa may have been located to the west on higher ground where there is evidence for buildings. The discovery of a lead christian font? nearby would indicate the presence of an estate centre rather than this area just being an industrial site, with the bath-house being public, run from possibly the Borough Villa. (25)
WS 97 Recent resistivity surveys have indicated rubiish pits and a kiln to the west of the road, and extensive foundations near Lickfold Farm which may be villa buildings. Because of the kiln and other industrial ventures such as metal working, the site has been interpreted as a 'roadside village', the bathhouse being perhaps a commercial enterprise built by some local villa owner, but the presence of industry does not preclude the site being a villa, many British villas had industrial functions. (26) |