Monument record RGH 009 - Roman Building SW of Lake Farm; Fields I, II & III

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Summary

The site of a building, possibly a Roman villa, south west of Lake Farm. Traces of a building were discovered in 1843, the remains comprising a floor of "pounded tiles and mortar". Between 1975 and 1979, field survey resulted in the recovery of quantities of material from the surface of the ploughed field. Finds included painted plaster, tesserae, coins, pottery, roof tiles, glass, oyster shells, plus large flints and stone. In 1975, a pit was found nearby (under Water Cottage) which contained tile, pottery, and human and animal bones (these finds are in Moyse's Hall Museum, Bury St Edmunds: accession number 1975-13). In 1976, an amphora handle stamped L IVN, the torso of a bronze figurine, and a plain bronze brooch were found in ploughsoil. These are also in Moyse's Hall Museum (accession number 1976-38). A vague cropmark of probable wall foundations with possible internal subdivisions is visible on an aerial photograph. The site has been scheduled, and is suggested to represent a winged or courtyard villa. The coins date only to the 3rd and 4th centuries, although the pottery ranges from the late Iron Age to the 4th century AD.. Scheduled Monument.

Location

Grid reference Centred TL 901 614 (213m by 241m)
Map sheet TL96SW
Civil Parish RUSHBROOKE WITH ROUGHAM, ST EDMUNDSBURY, SUFFOLK

Map

Type and Period (3)

Full Description

Roman Building SW of Lake Farm - probable villa.
1843: vestiges of Roman buildings were found circa 250 yards east of the Eastlow Hill barrows (RGH 001, 002) in 1843, and a Roman floor was revealed by the plough - constructed of pounded tiles and mortar with a white calcareous stucco surface (according to Victoria County History referring to (R2)). The account by J S Henslow in October 1843 states that "Many fragments of pottery and tile occur scattered over some fields a few hundred yards to the S of these barrows and upon digging about a spade's depth in one of them, a considerable area appeared to have been floored with brick and mortar" (description of excavations of smaller barrows, RGH 009, S2).
Relocated through fieldwalking by Myrtle Taylor and Mavis Baker 1975-1982 (Fields I, II & III, see Parish file). Surface finds include C3 and C4 coinage, early C1 AD bronze bow brooch, various bronze and lead objects (including bracelet fragment), iron scissors, glass bead, two lead figurines (not definitely identified). Pottery includes, samian, Nene Valley, mortarium (stamped), ? Oxford ware, shell gritted, grey wares, ? black burnished, colour coated, (? rhenish), amphora (stamped), oxidized, cream fabric, orange fabric.
Some IA sherds.
Building material includes painted plaster, hypocaust tile (burnt), tegulae, imbrices, tesserae (dense scatter), OP sig, flint rubble.
Other finds, Andernach lava quern, oyster shell, animal and human bone.
1975: box and roof tile, pottery, human and animal bone found in a rubbish pit under Water Cottage (TL 9000 6130), given by Capt D Armstrong to BSEMH (R1).
1986: NW field meadow, thinly scattered with mature oak and grazed by cattle, SW & SE fields were under wheat or barley, which had grown so high as to obscure the surface. Weathered fragments of brick/tile visible around field edges (S1).
2011: Geophysical and topographic survey of the scheduled area of a known Roman building at Lake farm, Rougham. The geophysical survey identified the edges of the building remains on the northen side, thereby beginning to provide more detailed information about the extent of the settlement (S3).
Scheduled.
Also a few Post Medieval finds (SAU store).

Sources/Archives (19)

  • <R1> (No record type): BSEMH 1975-13.
  • <M1> Unpublished document: Suffolk Archaeological Service. Parish Files. Parish file: photograph of figurine; fieldwalking reports.
  • <S1> Unpublished document: Department of the Environment. Scheduling information.
  • <M2> (No record type): SAM file:.
  • <R2> (No record type): Gents Magazine, 1843, pt 2, 190, 524, 528.
  • <S2> (No record type): Babington C, Roman Antiquities found at Rougham in 1842 & 1843, PSIA, 4, 1874, 257-281.
  • <M3> Unpublished document: Basil Brown. Basil Brown Archive. Basil Brown archive: vol.
  • <S3> Unpublished document: Woodhouse, H.. 2012. Geophysical Survey Report, Roman Building, Lake Farm, Rougham.
  • <R3> (No record type): Gents Magazine Liby Rom Rems, 2, 1887, 312.
  • <R4> Bibliographic reference: Suffolk Institute of Archaeology. Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology. PSIA, 33, 1976, (3), 327.
  • <S4> Bibliographic reference: Britannia. 16, 1985.
  • <R5> Bibliographic reference: Suffolk Institute of Archaeology. Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology. PSIA, 34, 1977, (1), 76.
  • <S5> Source Unchecked: RCHME?. Various. Field Investigators Comments. F2 PAS 13-MAR-81.
  • <R6> Bibliographic reference: 1911. Victoria County History, Suffolk (VCH). 314.
  • <S6> Article in serial: Martin, E.A., Plouviez, J. & Ross, H.. 1981. Archaeology in Suffolk 1980. XXXV (1).
  • <R7> Index: OS. OS Card. OS, card TL96SW1.
  • <S7> Bibliographic reference: CBA. 1984. Council for British Archaeology Group 6: Bulletin.
  • <S8> Bibliographic reference: Moore, I, E.. 1988. The Archaeology of Roman Suffolk.
  • <S9> Digital archive: Historic England. National Record Of the Historic Environment.

Finds (19)

Protected Status/Designation

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (7)

Record last edited

Mar 31 2021 2:00PM

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