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Summary

A series of archaeological remains relating to an extensive, although ill-defined Romano British settlement, were excavated as part of a programme of archaeological works along the route of a gas pipeline. The features comprise a partial enclosure and an unenclosed area of pits, postholes and ring gullies. The evidence for metalworking is particularly notable and includes both iron production and the manufacture of pewter. The dating indicated by the pottery which is dominated by South Devon Ware places the site in the later 3rd and 4th centuries AD.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1019319: Bowl barrow 660m south west of Woodland Barton

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• SETTLEMENT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Full description

Booth, P., 2008, Roman Britain in 2007. Sites Explored, 325 (Article in Serial). SDV361740.

Summary of excavation that revealed part of a late Roman farmstead and associated field system.

Joyce, S. + Mudd, A. + Collard, M., 2010, South-West Reinforcement Project, Ottery St Mary to Aylesbeare, Aylesbeare to Kenn, Fishacre to Choakford Gas Pipelines, Devon: Post-Excavation Assessment and Updated Project Design Issue 2: Volume I Text, 58-60, 137, 167, 210-211 (Report - non-specific). SDV347992.

Site FTC24.02/24.03/24.04. A series of archaeological remains relating to an extensive, although ill-defined Romano British settlement, were excavated as part of a programme of archaeological works along the route of a gas pipeline. In the centre of the site was a curvilinear ditch 24.03.152 interpreted as part of a possible house ring-gully. The single fill of the gully, which was 0.5 metres wide and less than 0.1 metres deep, contained a single sherd of Roman pottery. Also located in the centre of the site were three post holes and three pits. No dating evidence was recovered from these Pit 24.03.036 contained substantial charred plant remains indicative of crop-processing waste. A stone slab surface nearby (24.03.095) contained three sherds of late 3rd to 4th century pottery. It was interpreted as a possible metalworking surface, although no metal-working residues were found on it. However, nearby pit, 24.03. 089, contained iron smelting slag and also a glass bead.
Also near the centre of the site was a curvilinear ditch, 24.03.149, 0.5 metres wide and 0.3 metres deep which was interpreted as part of a house ring gully. Again its single fill contained a sherd of Roman pottery. The gully enclosed a group of ten postholes (24.03.150). No dating evidence was recovered from these features.
At the western end of the site was a pit, 24.03.024, the fill of which contained 11 sherds of mid 3rd to 4th century pottery, iron slag, vitrified hearth lining and an iron blade. To the east of this pit 24.03.041 contained seven sherds of Roman pottery and ironworking residues including slag, hammerscale and hearth/furnace lining.
Also within the western area of the site was a substantial curvilinear enclosure ditch, 24.03.153, 2.6 metres wide and 2.0 metres deep containing a large quantity of predominantly Roman pottery and two fragments of a granite mould for a pewter dish. This ditch corresponds with the outer ditch of a double-ditched enclosure seen by geophysical survey.

Joyce, S. + Mudd, A. + Collard, M., 2010, South-West Reinforcement Project, Ottery St Mary to Aylesbeare, Aylesbeare to Kenn, Fishacre to Choakford Gas Pipelines, Devon: Post-Excavation Assessment and Updated Project Design Issue 2: Volume II Illustrations, Fig. 63 (Report - non-specific). SDV347993.

Joyce, S. + Mudd, A. + Collard, M., 2010, South-West Reinforcement Project, Ottery St Mary to Aylesbeare, Aylesbeare to Kenn, Fishacre to Choakford Gas Pipelines, Devon: Post-Excavation Assessment and Updated Project Design Issue 2: Volume III Site Gazetteer, Site FTC24.03 (Report - non-specific). SDV347994.

The remains of a late Romano-British settlement were recorded.

Mudd, A. + Joyce, S., 2014, The Archaeology of the South-West Reinforcement Gas Pipeline, Devon. Investigations in 2005-2007, 100-104, 108, 112-113, 117, 127, 189-190 (Monograph). SDV359340.

Site 31. Springfield, Ugborough. The site lies just off the crest of a hill, on a south-facing slope just south of a round barrow. The excavations, part of a programme of archaeological works along the route of a gas pipeline, took place within an easement 15 metres wide. Due to the proximity of the barrow there was the possibility of Bronze Age satellite burials being found but in the event most of the features revealed relate to Roman occupation. These comprise a partial enclosure and an unenclosed area of pits, postholes and ring gullies. They appear to relate to a Roman period settlement although their scattered nature and the partial picture obtained through the excavation makes the overall form of the settlement unclear.
Within the western area of plot 24.03 was a substantial ditch (24.03.153/24.04.004) which corresponds with the outer ditch of a double-ditched enclosure depicted by geophysical survey. No features were revealed within the area delineated by the ditch. The ditch, 2.6 metres wide and 0.7 metres deep, appears to have been dug as one continuous length. The secondary fill contained 60 sherds of late 3rd to 4th century pottery and the tertiary fill 128 sherds, which may have derived from backfilling of the ditch and suggests significant occupation of this date nearby. Other finds of interest were a fragment of granite quern and two fragments of a stone mould for a pewter dish.
A gully (24.03.149) enscribing about a third of a circle was partially revealed, extending beyond the southern limits of the pipeline, with a projected diameter of circa 13.7 metres. Its fill contained a single sherd of Roman pottery. The gully enclosed a group of ten postholes.
In the centre of the site was a curvilinear ditch (24.03.152) which extended beyond the limits of the site which was interpreted as part of a house ring gully with a projected diameter of about 10 metres. A sherd of broadly Roman pottery was recovered from the fill. Pit 24.03.089 which lay within the projected ring contained iron smithing waste. A small glass bead of probable Roman date was also recovered from the pit. To the north-west part of a stone slab surface which may have formed part of a former entranceway into the building.
Immediately west of the gulley was a possible oven (24.03.036) contained well-preserved charred plant remains comprising a large range of cereals indicative of crop-processing waste. A hazelnut shell returned a calibrated radiocarbon date of AD140-326. Nearby postholes may have supported a windbreak sheltering the oven. To the south, pit 24.03.034 produced a fragment of elvan rotary quern stone of probable Roman date.
In the western part of the site were several pits and other features. Pit 24.03.041, 1.28 metres diameter and 0.29 metres deep, contained ironworking residues and also a fragment of quernstone of Dartmoor granite, six sherds of Roman pottery and quantities of burnt clay, which showed high levels of tin. Pit 24.03.024 contained 11 sherds of 3rd to 4th century pottery, slag, vitrified hearth lining and an iron blade, all of which appears to have been waste material.
The dating indicated by the pottery which is dominated by South Devon Ware places the site in the later 3rd and 4th centuries AD. The evidence for metalworking including iron production and the manufacture of pewter is considered particularly notable. See report for full details.

Crew, P. + Quinnell, H., 2022, A Hoard of Iron Currency Bars from Coffinswell, South Devon, 70 (Article in Serial). SDV365464.

Roman ironworking site found at Springfield, Ugborough.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds

• FDV6214 - BEAD (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• FDV6211 - CEREAL GRAIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• FDV6208 - MOULDSTONE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• FDV6207 - POT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• FDV6209 - QUERN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• FDV6210 - SLAG (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Associated Events

• EDV4375 - Fishacre to Lyneham Pipeline Assessment
• EDV4391 - Fishacre to Lyneham Fieldwalking Survey
• EDV5431 - Geophysical Survey on Gas Pipeline, Fishacre to Choakford
• EDV5439 - Archaeological Investigations Along Gas Pipeline, South-West Reinforcement Project

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