If you have any feedback or new information about this record, please email the Southampton HER (her@southampton.gov.uk).
Data derived from Heritage Gateway will not be acceptable for any use associated with development proposals and other planning matters.
For important guidance on the use of this record, please click
here
. © Southampton City Council
There was clearly a Roman settlement at Bitterne Manor, as shown by surviving walls and earthworks, cartographic records, numerous stray finds, archaeological excavations and watching briefs. This has been identified as Clausentum. There is no detailed, up-to-date summary of the evidence to date. Part of the site is a Scheduled Monument.
[This record is not yet complete and does not include more recent evidence. Further information can be found in the sources listed, on the child records, and elsewhere. The results of the many archaeological investigations on the Bitterne Manor peninsula are covered by separate records.]
[1] (1770): John Speed discusses the name Clausentum, and it's likely location at Bitterne Manor. Mention of Roman coins found in the area, and discussion of their significance. The "present Remains of Clausentum" are then described. The outer ditch, adjacent rivulet, inner ditch and bank (but not the outer bank) are described, then the following remains. Towards the north end of the bank inside the inner ditch, "there is still standing an old Stone Building, now converted into a Barn, but which appears to me to have been part of the old Roman Fort, for in the upper part of the Wall next the Ditch are slits to shoot Arrows through, and within the Barn are plain Marks of there having been a Floor at such a height that men standing upon it might conveniently shoot Arrows through the Slits; at the north end of the Barn are still to be seen some remains of the foundation of the old Wall of the Fort, about four feet in thickness; at the other end of the Barn, adjoining to it, are the remains of a Stone Gateway, which consisted of two Arches, one within the other, and was, I suppose, the Entrance into the Fort, by means of a Drawbridge over the Ditch; there was a Room over this Gateway, for at the end of the Barn there is a Door Case that leads to the top of the Gate. Within this Barn (sic) is another old Stone Building, now a Stable and Cart House, which reaches to the outside Wall next the River on the East side, and on that side it has an arch'd window and a Slit like those in the Barn, on each side of the Window. From this Building, there goes a Wall to a square Tower, still of some height, to the top of which there is a stone Staircase out of one of the upper Rooms of the Mannor House which joins to it; at the bottom of this Tower is a Door Case open to the Shoar from a small room . . . .; near this Tower there still remain foundations of Flint for a considerable space, and many fragments of the same appear all round the Ground within the inner Ditch and on the Bank of that Ditch; but many of the materials were remov'd in Queen Elizabeth's time . . . ".
[3] (1770), also [2]: A plan of Bitterne (originally included with the manuscript copy of [1]) shows/labels the outer ditch, outer bank, the freshwater rivulet outside the outer ditch, the inner ditch with banks on the inside and outside edges of the inner ditch, a "Breastwork of earth" along the southern shoreline between the two ditches (not mentioned in [1]), "The old Gateway" and "Barn" (both apparently in the inner ditch!), the "Stable", "Square Tower" and manor house. Also, the key mentions "the remains of the foundations of a wall which in some places is about four feet thick", all around the area west of the inner ditch. (The plan is rather odd in some respects, particularly in the representation of the inner ditch and bank(s). IP)
[4] (1770): Rough plan of the Bitterne Manor peninsular, showing the outer ditch, inner ditch and various structures on the western edge of the inner ditch, identifiable as the barn, gateway and segments of wall in [1]. There is also a conjectural representation of the original wall by the inner ditch. (IP 4/9/03).
IP 19/2/04: Individual monument records have been made for all structures and finds described in [1][2][3][4].
[5][6][7][8] (1798 - 1805): Various accounts by Englefield of the remains and finds at Bitterne Manor between ?1798 and 1805, including two plans of the area. ([7] is a reprint of [6], although with slightly different illustrations, in the same volume as [8].) Englefield records various discoveries during the construction of the "new road" (now Bitterne Road, with bridge across the Itchen) in 1798, and during the destruction of a large part of the inner defences in 1804/5. (See child records for details.) IP 19/2/04.
[9] (1800): Discussion of Clausentum, by unnamed author (followed by [5] in same volume).
[12] (1839): (Source referred to in a footnote on page 6 of [10]. Not found, IP 19/2/04.)
[11] (1841): Bullar's edition of Englefield [7][8], with notes. (Source referred to in a footnote on page 6 of [10]. Not found, IP 19/2/04. Bullar's 1841 notes might be interesting.)
[10] (1883): Davies refers to Speed's and Englefield's accounts, and discusses the evidence for Clausentum.
Other general sources:
[18] (1892); [19] (1900); [20] (1902); [21] (1930); [22] (1945); [23] (1963); [24] (1964); [25] (1973); [26] (1978); [27] (1978); [28] (Summary of evidence to 1987).
See [31] for OS Antiquity Record (NMR) (cites [2][15][25][26][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41], etc, some relevant to specific findspots, sites, etc).
See also files of newspaper cuttings from c1900 - 1990, miscellaneous correspondance and miscellaneous reports in SMR Library.
See file containing photocopies of maps of the Bitterne Manor area in SMR Library.
IP 19/2/04 - Summary of Archaeological Investigations at Bitterne Manor in the 20th Century (see individual records for details):
The urban development of the Bitterne Manor area began in about 1900, continuing throughout the first part of the 20th century, Early observations, during the laying out of roads and digging of house foundations, were reported by Dale and others in [13][14], together with a plan. Between 1935/6 and 1939, excavations took place in the grounds of Bitterne Manor House, led by the Clausentum Excavation Society (including Rivers Moore, Waterman and Maitland Muller) (known as Waterman Sites A to H, SOU 210 to SOU 217). These excavations were brought to an end by the start of World War Two. Some observations took place on the construction of air raid shelters in 1939/40, and after the bombing of Bitterne Manor House in c1940. Most of the archaeological work from the 1930s is unpublished, although see [15] for a 1947 report on some of the work. (The site archives and finds from the 1930s are currently being researched by AD Russel of the Southampton City Council Archaeology Unit.) In 1946, Maitland Muller directed an excavation in Steuart Road (SOU 698). A further series of excavations took place in 1951 and 1954, led by MA Cotton and PW Gathercole for the Ministry of Works (SOU 201 to SOU 205); the results of these excavations were published in [16] (see [17] for a review and critique of [16]). In 1958/9, Aberg led an excavation in Rampart Road for the Southampton Museums Department (SOU 206). Other archaeological work and reported discoveries at Bitterne Manor from the 1950s to the 1970s rermain unpublished and in most cases there is proper report. It was not until the 1980s that archaeological excavations and watching briefs became a matter of course during redevelopment; there are unpublished reports for the more recent work. The results of some of the more recent sites, including those in Hawkeswood Road and Quayside Road, are not yet on the SMR.
(Only a few of the monument records created for Roman evidence at Bitterne Manor have been linked as child records to this record. IP 19/2/04)
SOU 1166 (field evaluation at 125 Bitterne Road in 2001):
[32]: The probable edge of a marsh associated with the stream from Hum Hole was found (MSH2236); the stream is now canalised and runs to the SE of the site. The high tide in the Roman period was probably a metre lower than today, and the marsh could have been caused by a post-Roman rise in sea level. However, if the marsh existed in Roman times, the Roman town that lay to the west of the site had a good natural defence provided by the marsh and the outer Roman defence was placed on the dry land immediately to the west of the marshy area.
[33]: Discussion of Roman evidence from Bitterne Manor, especially with respect to riverfront facilities, the route to Winchester, and the possible river crossing to St Denys (Chapter 3 and 4).
[42]: Includes photos of some excavations in the 1930s (to be sorted).
GIS: approximate boundary of Clausentum marked using 1876 map [29] (GIS raster version) and paper 1820 map [30]. layer. The boundary is anyway uncertain due to erosion and accretion since the Roman period. IP 19/2/04.
| [1] | SSH821 - Bibliographic reference: John Speed (Ed ER Aubrey). c1770 (1909). The History and Antiquity of Southampton with some conjectures concerning The Roman Clausentum. Ch XVI (pp 140 - 148) |
| [2] | SSH1620 - Map: John Speed/Miss Ellen Stevens. 1770/1907. Plan of Bitterne shewing remains of the Roman Station of Clausentum - Map probably AD 1770.. Paper. |
| [3] | SSH1621 - Map: John Speed. c1770. Plan of Bitterne (manuscript plan of the remains at Bitterne Manor/Clausentum).. Paper. |
| [4] | SSH1622 - Unpublished document: John Speed. c1770. Rough annotated plan of the Bitterne Manor peninsular, showing the Inner and Outer Ditch and some structures.. |
| [5] | SSH1134 - Article in serial: ?HC Englefield. ?1798. Clausentum, Now Bitterne, With an accurate Mensuration and Plan.. Hampshire Repository, Vol I, 1798. Including plan |
| [6] | SSH1135 - Article in serial: HC Englefield and others. 1800. Ancient Clausentum, or Modern Bitterne (continued from the first volume) (& Account of Roman Coins found at Bitterne).. Hampshire Repository, Vol II, 1799, pp (288?)291--301. pp 295 - 300 (Englefield), Pl |
| [7] | SSH782 - Bibliographic reference: Englefield. 1805. A Walk Through Southampton (Second Edition). (Considerably augmented: To which is added, Some Account of the Roman Station, Clausentum.). pp 107 - 117, including Plate (reprint of Hants Rep Vol II) |
| [8] | SSH782 - Bibliographic reference: Englefield. 1805. A Walk Through Southampton (Second Edition). (Considerably augmented: To which is added, Some Account of the Roman Station, Clausentum.). pp 118 - 128, and Plan (see also notes at end) |
| [9] | SSH1135 - Article in serial: HC Englefield and others. 1800. Ancient Clausentum, or Modern Bitterne (continued from the first volume) (& Account of Roman Coins found at Bitterne).. Hampshire Repository, Vol II, 1799, pp (288?)291--301. pp 288 - 294 (unnamed editor) |
| [10] | SSH664 - Bibliographic reference: JS Davies. 1883. A History of Southampton. p 2 - 12 |
| [11] | SSH1874 - Bibliographic reference: Englefield; Bullar. 1841. A Walk Through Southampton: Including A Survey Of Its Antiquities, With Notes by John Bullar. |
| [12] | SSH1875 - Bibliographic reference: Duthie. 1839. Sketches of Hampshire.. pp 417 - 421 |
| [13] | SSH1350 - Article in serial: HFC (GE Fox, WH St John Hope & W Dale). 1901. The Roman Station of Clausentum at Bitterne.. PHFC&AS Vol IV Part III, 1901, 257-61 (& plan). |
| [14] | SSH1349 - Article in serial: W Dale. 1902. Untitled report on Clausentum, Southampton.. Proc Soc Antiq, Vol 19, 1902, 56-60 (and map). |
| [15] | SSH1660 - Article in serial: DM Waterman. 1947. Excavations at Clausentum, 1937 - 8.. The Antiquaries Journal, Vol XXVII, 151-171. all |
| [16] | SSH515 - Monograph: M Aylwin Cotton and PW Gathercole. 1958. Excavations at Clausentum, Southampton, 1951 - 1954.. MOW Archaeological Report 2. all |
| [17] | SSH1695 - Article in serial: IA Richmond. 1962. Review of the publication "Excavations at Clausentum, Southampton, 1951 - 1954".. Journal of Roman Studies, Vol 52, 1962. |
| [18] | SSH1884 - Bibliographic reference: TW Shore. 1892. History of Hampshire.. pp 45, 56 |
| [19] | SSH633 - Bibliographic reference: (Haverfield). 1900. Victoria County History Hants Volume 1 (1900). 1. pp 330 - 5 |
| [20] | SSH1880 - Article in serial: ? (E Green). 1902. Untitled note on reading of a paper on Clausentum by E Green. Archaeological Journal, Vol 59 (Second Series Vol 9), 1902, p355. p 355 |
| [21] | SSH1879 - Bibliographic reference: RG Collingwood. 1930. The Archaeology of Roman Britain.. pp 53, 194 |
| [22] | SSH1876 - Article in serial: H Mattingley. 1945. The Roman Site of Bitterne.. PHFC&AS Vol XVI Part 2, 1945, 188-9. |
| [23] | SSH1883 - Bibliographic reference: B Carpenter Turner. 1963. A History of Hampshire.. pp 10 - 12 |
| [24] | SSH1881 - Article in serial: J Pallister. 1964. Roman Southampton (Notes and observations).. Soton Arch Soc, Bulletin Nos 9 & 10, 1964, 1-5. |
| [25] | SSH1878 - Bibliographic reference: B Cunliffe. 1973. The Regni. (Series title "Peoples of Roman Britain".). pp 126 - 39 |
| [26] | SSH1877 - Bibliographic reference: Wacher. 1978. Roman Britain.. pp 58 - 61 |
| [27] | SSH1882 - Article in serial: R Bridgland. 1978. Bitterne - Clausentum?. SHARG Newsletter No 23, May 1978, 8-10. |
| [28] | SSH1364 - Unpublished document: Southampton University Adult Education Class. 1987. Clausentum Crisis, 1987. (Clausentum Crisis - A report for action to preserve Southampton's Roman heritage.). all |
| [29] | SSH1087 - Map: Ordnance Survey. 1876. OS Hants 65.7, 1876 (published). Paper. 1:2500. |
| [30] | SSH1625 - Map: JD Doswell. 1820. Plan of Bitterne Estate situate in the Parish of South Stoneham Hants the Property of James Stuart Hall Esqr.. Paper. |
| [31] | SSH1368 - Unpublished document: NMR/OS. 1962/1969. NMR/OS Antiquity Record SU 41 SW 1. |
| [32] | SSH2091 - Archaeological Report: AD Russel. 2002. Report on the archaeological evaluation excavation at 125 Bitterne Road West, Southampton.. SOU 1166. |
| [33] | SSH2696 - Unpublished document: M Beattie-Edwards. 1999. The First Port of Southampton: A study of the Roman maritime facilities on the Itchen River including discussion of the possible Roman crossing at Clausentum.. |
| [34] | SSH3910 - Bibliographic reference: RG Collingwood & IA Richmond. 1969. The Archaeology of Roman Britain.. p 52 |
| [35] | SSH3911 - Bibliographic reference: Sheppard Frere. 1967. Britannia - a history of Roman Britain. p 356 |
| [36] | SSH3912 - Bibliographic reference: BW Cunliffe. 1968. 5th Report on the Excavations of the Roman Fort at Richborough.. pp 269-70 |
| [37] | SSH1374 - Bibliographic reference: RG Collingwood and RP Wright. 1965. The Roman Inscriptions of Britain.. pp 692-4 |
| [38] | SSH3913 - Bibliographic reference: ALF Rivet & C Smith. 1979. Place Names of Roman Britain. pp 166-167, 308-309 |
| [39] | SSH3914 - Monograph: DE Johnston. 1977. The Saxon Shore. CBA Research Report 18. (?p 136, or 1, 3, 6) |
| [40] | SSH1406 - Bibliographic reference: DM Wilson. 1976. The Archaeology of Anglo-Saxon Enland.. p 127 |
| [41] | SSH1405 - Article in serial: D Hill. 1967. Burghal Hidage - Southampton.. PHFC&AS Vol XXIV, 1967, 59-61. p 59-?60 |
| [42] | SSH3109 - Unpublished document: Ancient Monument File AM56 - Clausentum. |
| [100] | SSH1136 - Article in serial: 1851. Proceedings of the Meetings of the Archaeological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland.. Archaeological Journal, Vol VIII. p205 |
| [100] | SSH1728 - Bibliographic reference: G Rogers and LR Laing. 1966. Gallo-Roman Pottery from Southampton and the distribution of Terra Nigra in Great Britain.. |
| [100] | SSH1803 - Article in serial: C Roach Smith. 1883. The Antiquary's Note-Book: Notes on Clausentum; now Bitterne Manor (letter to Stewart Macnaghten).. The Antiquary, Vol VII, pp 79-81. |
| [100] | SSH3453 - Bibliographic reference: Rev Richard Warner. 1792. An Attempt to ascertain the situation of the ancient Clausentum.. |
| [100] | SSH3454 - Unpublished document: J Ellis. 1998. Clausentum: An Archaeological Assessment of Bitterne and Its Environs.. |
| [100] | SSH4215 - Bibliographic reference: JB Morgan & P Peberdy. 1961. Collected Essays on Southampton.. |
| [100] | SSH4250 - Bibliographic reference: John Duthy. 1839. Sketches of Hampshire embracing the Architectural Antiquities, Topography, &c. of the country adjacent to the River Itchen.. pp 415-423 |
| [100] | SSH4257 - Unpublished document: DV Fippard. 1965. Clausentum. |
| [100] | SSH781 - Article in serial: OGS Crawford. 1942. Southampton.. Antiquity, Vol XVI, 1942, 36-?. p 37 |
If you have any feedback or new information about this record, please email the Southampton HER (her@southampton.gov.uk).