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Summary

Roman settlement of late second to early fourth century, overlying a first century Roman military fort at Woodbury Farm. The settlement extended to the west, and possibly to the south and east of the fort.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1011921: Roman fort and later Romano-British settlement at Woodbury Farm

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SY29NE/33/2
• Old SAM County Ref: 1031
• Old SAM Ref: 22301

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• SETTLEMENT (II to IV - 101 AD to 400 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1948, CPE/UK/2431 4199, 4199 (Aerial Photograph). SDV124212.

Silvester, R. J. + Allden, A., 1980, An Earthwork at Woodbury, Axminster (Report - Survey). SDV99918.

The Roman fort is overlain by second century and later settlement. Scatters of Roman material have been recovered from the field to the south of the fort and from Woodbury Farm itself, and these have been identified as second century. Other details: Typescript and survey.

Devon County Council, 1981, Untitled Source, Film No 496 (Photograph). SDV99934.

Silvester, R. J., 1982, Interim Report on the Excavation at Woodbury, Axminster (Un-published). SDV348789.

Silvester, R. J., 1982, Letter to the County Planning Officer (Correspondence). SDV124211.

Rescue excavations in 1981/2 on the proposed site of a swimming pool have recorded an early Roman ditch which has been deliberately backfilled in places with large quantities of rubbish including much third to fourth century Roman pottery. A stone causeway overlies the road and limited traces of ironworking have been noted.

Unknown, 1983, A Fragment of Roman History Comes to Light (Article in Serial). SDV348791.

Unknown, 1983, Rare Finds in Farm 'Dig' (Article in Serial). SDV348790.

Unknown, 1983, Roman Remains at Farm (Article in Serial). SDV358639.

Silvester, R. J. + Griffith, F.M., 1984, Addendum, 54 (Article in Serial). SDV342625.

Air photographs taken during 1984 show parchmarks of walling within the fort enclosure. Relative position suggests they are not directly related to the fort. Include a range of rooms attached to a courtyard, in the south-east corner of the fort. Also found buildings to centre of fort in area of slight mounds noted on ground by Silvester, possibly building rubble. Possible building towards noth-west corner. Other details: Plate 1.

Griffith, F. M., 1984, DAP/AY, 3,3a,4,5,6,7 (Aerial Photograph). SDV96554.

Griffith, F. M., 1984, DAP/BX, 6a,7,8 (Aerial Photograph). SDV131277.

Griffith, F. M., 1984, DAP/CU, 9,9a,10 (Aerial Photograph). SDV99940.

Silvester, R. J. + Bidwell, P. T., 1984, Roman Site at Woodbury, Axminster, 33-57 (Article in Serial). SDV99920.

A small excavation within a newly discovered rectangular earthwork identified Roman and later ditches and gullies, as well as part of a large feature interpreted as a pond, filled in the mid fourth century. The pond produced a large assemblage of third to fourth century pottery, including black burnished ware, gritty grey wares, Samian, and some wares from other parts of England and Europe. Catalogue given in report. Clay tiles included roof tiles (both Imbrex and Tegula) box tiles and pilae. Other finds included two fourth century coins, parts of two shale vessels and a brooch dated to the second century.

Weddell, P. J., 1985, Tile and Pot Scatter (Worksheet). SDV99922.

1. Visited on 31/01/1985. Field to east of Woodbury Fort was under crop but a large quantity of Roman tile was visible in ploughsoil. Sample collected included box tile, tegula and pilae. Some Roman pot also recovered.
2. Oral tradition of stone foundations in field, but no surface traces.
3. Field pattern on tithe map different. Part 'Stony Close' and 'Woodbury Mead'.

Griffith, F. M., 1986, DAP/GT, 19a,20a (Aerial Photograph). SDV99947.

Weddell, P. J. + Holbrook, N., 1987, A35 Axminster By-pass Report on Trial Archaeological Excavations and Documentary Research 1987, 3 (Report - Assessment). SDV99942.

There was a later Roman civil settlement at Woodbury farm, perhaps a villa or roadside posting station, dating to the 4th century, but its form and extent are not known. The preliminary survey identified Roman occupation material to the east of this site, and place name evidence indicates settlement to the west around Woodbury Cross. This settlement would have been determined by the proximity of the Fosse Way and the Dorchester to Exeter road.

Department of Environment, 1988, Roman Fort and Late Romano-British Settlement at Woodbury Farm, Axminster (Schedule Document). SDV343994.

English Heritage, 1989, Roman Fort and Late Romano-British Settlement at Woodbury Farm, Axminster (Correspondence). SDV343995.

Field boundaries largely determined by the line of the ditch of the earthwork enclosure. The constraint area comprises the field and a margin outside the field boundaries.

Henderson, C. G. + Simpson, S. J., 1990, Archaeological Investigations at Woodbury Great Close, Axminster, Devon (Report - Watching Brief). SDV118210.

Small scale excavations and a watching brief along the line of the Axminster to Musbury water main during February and March 1990 revealed continuous well preserved Roman deposits on the west side of the scheduled ancient monument adjoining Woodbury farm. Roman features including pits, boundary ditches, a possible timber roundhouse and two rectangular timber buildings were revealed beneath a dark silty soil which yielded finds from the third and fourth centuries. Roman occupation seems to extend circa 250 metres west of the fort site in a band at least 100 metres wide on the south side of Woodbury Lane. Fieldwalking suggests that the full width could be 250 metres or more. Finds east of the fort suggest the settlement could extend for another 200 metres in this direction, in all covering circa15 to 22 hectares. A number of pottery wasters were recovered, including a type of storage jar with thumb-impressed rim which is found throughout the region and dates broadly to the third century, suggesting that Woodbury may be a production centre. In the later Roman period it must have ranked as a small town and may well have contained a 'mansio' since it lies at the junction of the two most important roads in the region. The site has a good claim to be identified as 'Moridunum' which is listed in late Roman itineraries.

Weddell, P. J., 1991, Archaeological Appraisal of Potential Development Areas in Axminster and its Environs, 3, 6 (Report - Assessment). SDV99927.

By the third century AD a substantial settlement had grown up on the earlier fort site and had extended along the road to either side. This settlement provided a stopping place on the main road to Exeter and the west, and eventually developed into a small town, probably the place called 'Moridunum' which is listed as lying between Exeter and Dorchester. There was industrial activity here, notably the production of pottery in the fourth century. The site was probably abandoned by the end of the fourth century and the area later reverted to cultivation. Other details: Figure 11.

Simpson, S. J., 1991, South West Water Musbury to Axminster Water Main 1990: Summary of Archaeological Investigations, 2 (Report - non-specific). SDV99944.

Fieldwork along the Musbury to Axminster pipeline demonstrated that there were substantial archaeological deposits of the Roman period within the field known as Woodbury Great Close, immediately to the west of Woodbury Farm and extending into fields to the west of Wyke Lane. A limited excavation and examination of the pipe trench revealed evidence of a later Roman settlement site. The extent of the third and fourth century features excavated during the pipeline construction, taken with the scatter of finds made during fieldwalking past and present, indicate that the Roman vicus at Woodbury may have covered an area in the order of 22 acres, and may have been the largest in Devon apart from Exeter and North Tawton. Other details: Figure 2.

Quinnell, H., 1993, A Sense of Identity: Distinctive Cornish Stone in the Roman and Post-Roman Periods, 42 (Article in Serial). SDV320934.

'Elvan' foot ring (stone pedestal base) from 1990 by-pass excavation on the settlement.

Bedford, J. + Reed, S., 1993, Archaeological Watching Brief at Woodbury Great Close, Axminster, 1992, 2 (Report - Watching Brief). SDV99928.

Excavation in the area of the fort revealed evidence of contamination with occupation debris in the upper fills of the defensive ditch, interpreted as slighted rampart material pushed into the ditch during the civil occupation. It was impossible to tell from the small amount of any one feature exposed whether they represented ditches or pits, and to determine alignment.

Weddell, P. J. + Reed, S. J. + Simpson, S. J., 1993, Excavation of the Exeter-Dorchester Roman Road at the River Yarty and the Roman Fort Ditch and Settlement Site at Woodbury, Near Axminster., 68-71, 75-79 (Article in Serial). SDV99887.

A military 'vicus' probably grew up adjacent to the first century fort, to the west and possibly to the east, alongside and to the south of the Exeter to Dorchester road. At present there is no evidence for settlement along the Fosse Way north of the fort, or along the northern side of the Exeter to Dorchester road, although this may reflect the lack of observations in these areas. In the later first century, following the departure of the army, there was probably shrinkage of settlement, which was reversed by the establishment of a 'mansio' or posting station, probably in the mid second century.The associated settlement probably covered circa 12 hectares, and there is no evidence that it was defended at this time. It seems to have been abandoned by the end of the fourth century, but a wide range of features and buildings of timber and stone, revealed by geophysical survey, appear to have been preserved below ground. Other details: Figure 24.

Cole, M. A. + Linford, N. T., 1993, The Geophysical Survey at Woodbury Farm, Axminster, 147 (Article in Serial). SDV124242.

The geophysical survey revealed a substantial number of stone buildings within the monument, which are at odds with the timber constructions expected of a first century fort, and both their dimensions and morphology may indicate the presence of a later complex of stone structures. It also supports the evidence for the presence of a substantial Roman settlement to the west of the fort. Other details: Figures 2b,3b.

English Heritage, 1994, Roman Fort and Later Romano-British Settlement at Woodbury Farm (Schedule Document). SDV124220.

Site scheduled in 1988. Scheduled area includes Roman fort with a second century and later settlement overlying it and extending westwards, and an associated stretch of the Fosse Way. The fort survives as a square area defined by a ditch up to 18 metres wide and 1.6 metres deep. The ditch is visible around the entire circuit of the fort apart from the area in the immediate vicinity of Woodbury Farm where it has been infilled. The interior of the fort measures 144 metres north-east to south-west by 132 metres north-west to south-east, giving an area of 1.9 hectares. Within the fort two elongated mounds standing up to 0.3 metres high may represent building rubble. In the south half of the fort slight ridges oriented approximately east to west represent the site of a former orchard. Excavations carried out in the north-east corner of the fort in 1981 revealed a number of early Roman features including a pond which had been deliberately backfilled in places with large quantities of rubbish including much third and fourth century Roman pottery. During 1984, photographs revealed a substantial stone building which has since been interpreted as a mansio. Traces of other associated buildings were also noted in the north-western part of the fort. Ploughing of this field in recent years has produced Roman artefacts including pottery and metalwork. A pipeline trench cut through the area to the north and west of the fort in 1990 revealed Roman deposits up to 0.6 metres deep. An early Roman ploughsoil 0.2 metres deep was overlain by a later Roman level up to 0.4 metres thick which sealed a variety of Roman features including pits, 2 roads and boundary ditches. A large number of Roman artefacts including pottery wasters were recovered suggesting that Woodbury may have been a production centre during the third century. A further pipeline trench excavated in 1992 in the area of the northern ditch of the fort and extending in a south-westerly direction across the field west of the fort, confirmed the presence of Roman features, including a road and buried soils within 50 metres of the fort. In 1993 and 1994, two programmes of geophysical work within the fort and the field to the west further demonstrated the presence of archaeological remains. Within the fort the features identified on the earlier aerial photograph were all noted, whilst in the area to the west a system of parallel linear boundaries was demonstrated. In the later Roman period the settlement would have ranked as a small town lying at the junction of the two most important roads in the region. The site is thought to be the town of Moridunum. The site was abandoned by the end of the fourth century and later reverted to cultivation. The farm buildings, service poles, the slurry pit, fence posts and modern metalled surfaces are excluded from the scheduling but the ground below is included. The Roman fort at Woodbury Farm survives well, and is one of only 13 examples recorded in England. It is the most southerly and westerly of that distribution and also lies towards the edge of the south-west distribution of forts. Other details: Monument Number 22301. Map object based on this Source.

English Heritage, 1999, Roman Fort and Late Romano-British Settlement at Woodbury Farm, Axminster (Correspondence). SDV343993.

Three year agreement for the care and maintenance of monument from 20th September 1998 to 19th September 2001.

Dyer, M. J. + Whiteaway, T. E., 2003, Archaeological Recording During Gas Main Replacement Works, Woodbury Lane, Axminster, Devon, 2-3,10-12 (Report - Watching Brief). SDV320799.

Late 2nd to early 4th century civil Roman settlement overlying the first century Roman military fort. The settlement, probably originating as a military 'vicus', extended to the west of the fort, and possibly to the south and east. No evidence was found for the Roman settlement extending north of Woodbury Lane, however a number of sherds of third or fourth century pottery was recovered from a pit in a field to the west of Wyke Lane, while further pottery was recovered from the field to the south . Other details: Figures 2 and 5.

Ordnance Survey, 2012, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV348725.

Map object based on this Source.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV180 - Carved Stone (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• FDV181 - POT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• FDV179 - TILE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Associated Events

• EDV891 - Archaeological Recording During Gas Main Replacement Works, Woodbury Lane, Axminster
• EDV918 - A35 Axminster by-pass report on trial archaeological excavations and documentary research 1987
• EDV919 - Archaeological Appraisal of Potential Development Areas in Axminster and its Environs
• EDV949 - Archaeological Watching Brief at Woodbury Great Close, Axminster
• EDV953 - Archaeological Investigations of Musbury to Axminster water main

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