| Summary : Parts of a late 3rd to early 4th century AD Roman building complex cut by at least four 6th century Anglian inhumation burials in cists. The site was uncovered by small scale excavations in 1939 and 1966, half a kilometre west of Bainesse Roman roadside settlement and Anglian cemetery. During the excavations four rooms were found, some with wall plaster. These may have been service rooms connected with a Roman villa and were ruined by the time of the burials. Further human remains and Anglian metalwork have also been noted in the area. Other finds include an enclosure, jewellery, iron work, coins and a well. |
More information : SE 242 970: Human remains, Roman coins found AD 1887. [T.I.] (1)
Antonine pottery, wall foundations, querns, animal bones, iron nails and tile fragments found near Bainesse Farm, 1929. Other discoveries here include a bronze steelyard. In the 18th century building foundations and iron gates found and in digging foundations for the farmhouse, a square arched vault built of bricks stamped BSAR. (2)
In 1939 Mr E.W.J. Hildyard cleared a block of small rooms decorated with wall plaster containing 4th century pottery. The end chamber had been used as a pagan Saxon burial ground. (3)
Civil occupation is well known to be thickly distributed near Catterick, between the known sites of Thornborough Farm [SE 29 NW 3] and Bainesse Farm. (4)
In 1887 workmen making a sunk fence round the garden of Bainesse Farm found a bronze balance, almost perfect, capable of weighing up to 25 Roman pounds; near it was a coin of Vespasian. At the same time were found two small Roman bronze coins of a later period and pottery fragments, including 3 Samian sherds (1st to 2nd cent.), stamped respectively IVLLINI. OF; MACRINUS.F; VXTVLLI.M. About 1895 some 16 or more 3rd and 4th cent. coins were found. (d) In 1929 a trench for an electric cable was cut across the Roman Road close to the farm. Foundations abutting on the road were discovered, also Samian and coarse pottery sherds of Antonine date, quern stones, animal bones, iron nails and fragments of tile. (5)
At 'A' [SE 2398 9736] during construction of the new By-pass west-south-west of the village of Catterick and about a mile south-east of Cataractonium, workmen bulldozed through a site close to the eastern side of the Roman road "which seems clearly to have been an Anglian cemetery, and suggests that Catterick village is an Anglian foundation distinct from Cataractonium". A number of cists containing skeletons were revealed, and six spearheads, a shield boss, and a triangular iron dagger found, all of which finds were dispersed. Sir Ralph Lawson of Brough Hall is believed to have two of the spears. Also found and subsequently purchased by G. F. Willmot for the Yorkshire Museum was a Great Square Headed Brooch of Leeds' Type C2, the closest parallel to which is his No.135 from Darlington. The lappets are more degenerate but the foot has two rather better beasts on each side of the tongue. Mr. Willmot visited the site on 26th June, 1959 and found human bones "fifty yards south-east of a lane crossing the by-pass to the north of the roundabout". Walls and Roman pottery have also been found. (6)
In 1939, workmen found Roman walls and a skeleton with an associated gilt brooch, 500 yards east of Bainesse and 50 yards behind the hangers (area SE 244 972). The building, containing three rooms, was 20 feet wide and over 40 feet long and may have been slaves quarters or workshops attached to a villa. Decorated plaster covered some walls. Pottery was generally early 4th century. A 4th century coin, probably Valentinian I was also found. The N chamber contained a second Anglo Saxon inhumation with two sets of buckles and a skull. Two inhumations had been previously found to the south during cable laying. (7)
Nothing visible on the ground at any point. (8)
NK 3 Listed as a Roman villa. (9)
Features visible as cropmarks to the south and west and north of Bainess farm were plotted at 1:10,000 scale as part of the RCHME Catterick Project. The main area of cropmarks is centred on SE 2415 9700 and consists of several linear ditches forming a perpendicular pattern suggestive of a series of enclosures abutting the west side of Dere street. Within this pattern are at least six large pit-like features which may be wells to the rear of building plots ( pers comm by Dr P. Wilson, English Heritage). A 300 metre length of possibly metalled road or track roughly paralleling Dere street runs from SE 2410 9691 to SE 2389 9713 and may be associated with a second group of perpendicular ditches at SE 2382 9712 which are the fragmentary remains of a field system. A linear arrangement of five pits at SE 2437 9664 may be of industrial origin. (10)
Additional reference. (11)
SE 2448 9726: Parts of a late 3rd to early 4th century AD Roman building complex cut by at least four 6th century Anglian inhumation burials uncovered by small scale excavations in 1939 and 1966. Uncovered were 4 rooms, some with wall plaster evidence, possibly service rooms connected with a Roman villa which were ruined by the time of the burials. Further human remains and Anglian metalwork have been noted in the area.
Half a kilometre west is Bainesse Roman roadside settlement and Anglian cemetery. It is considered that the area be managed with the help of the Defence Estate's archaeological advisor and via the local planning process.
Although the Roman building complex and Anglican cemetery are likely to be of national importance, their extent, nature and degree of survival are unknown. It is thus not considered appropriate to propose any areas for scheduling at this time. (12)
As a result of a reassessment of this record made by the Yorkshire Henges and their Environs Air Photo Mapping Project the cropmarked features described by authority 10 have been transferred to a new record UID 1485663(13) |