More information : SE 56 74. Gill quotes Drake as reporting the discovery of wall-
plaster and pieces of tessellated pavement "near a farmhouse called
George Hornby's new house" in 1736, though the original passage in
Drake cannot be traced (a). Whellan states that in 1854, Gill in view
of this and of a report from labourers digging holes for a fence,
investigated a site "in the valley of the R Foss, south of Yearsley
Lake and on the estate of Sir George Wombwell" and found a Roman
tessellated pavement, which Sir George gave to the Yorkshire
Philosophical Society in 1857 (b) (still in their musuem).
Whellan's account of the building is confused, but there seems to
have been 6 rooms, possibly a corridor 35' x 10.5' and an apse. The
pavement of the apse was 6" above the rest and may indicate two
periods. "Several pieces of Ro urns, bricks, tiles, flues etc were
found" (c). (1)
A very old inhabitant has identified Pond Head Farm (SE 566 745)
as `George Hornby's new house' (see above). It certainly looks a
possible position for the villa. (2)
The tenant has been at Pond Head Farm for only three years and has
never heard of this find. No other local information was available.
(see SE 57 SE/3). (3)
A fine corridor mosaic, found at Burton House Farm, is now in the
Yorkshire Museum. It measures 35 feet by 10 1/2 feet and ran parallel
to, and on the west side of, a series of rooms. (4-5)
SE 56 73. Enquiries at Burton House (authority 4 refers) produced no
knowledge of either this Roman building which is apparently a
corridor Villa; or any local archaeological finds. Enquiries at RCHM
(York) and County Arch. Unit (Northallerton) negative regarding
siting. (6)
SE 5650 7382. Site location is confused but reference to lake would
suggest near Burton House". (7)
Examination of all available air photography at the general location
given by Authorities 1-7 could not identify any features which may
relate to this record. (8) |