Monument record MLI20274 - Roman Ditched Enclosures, Counter Drain
Summary
Roman ditched enclosures at Counter Drain.
Type and Period (3)
- ENCLOSURE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
- LINEAR FEATURE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
- DROVE ROAD ? (Roman - 43 AD? to 409 AD?)
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Full Description
A group of cropmarks, including possible drove roads and enclosures. {1}
The ditched enclosures were recorded in 2010, during a series of investigations on land at Willow Tree Farm, Deeping St Nicholas:
A clear pattern of strong linear magnetic anomalies were identified during a magnetometry survey. These anomalies corresponded well to the pattern of ditched enclosures and trackways, previously identified. Some gaps could be discerned in the anomalies, possibly representing deliberate breaks and entrances into the enclosures.
Subsequent fieldwalking recovered a small quantity of Roman material in this area, including a cluster of pottery sherds of likely 2nd or 3rd century date, a small quantity of animal bone, mostly from the larger mammals (cattle and horse), and a Roman coin of likely 2nd century date.
Three trial trenches were excavated in an attempt to characterise some of the magnetic anomalies recorded in the earlier geophysical survey. The trenches were sited to investigate some of the rectilinear enclosures, and a possibly earlier oval enclosure, and sections through a number of ditches were recorded. No features could be identified within the enclosures, and only a few finds were recovered, including a small assemblage of 1st to 3rd century Roman pottery and a cattle skull, found in the terminal of one of the ditches. Given the lack of internal features and scarcity of finds, it was thought that the enclosures were utilised as seasonal stock enclosures, that were abandoned in the face of rising water, during the later Roman period. {2}{3}
Sources/Archives (3)
- <1> SLI3705 Map: HALLAM, S.J.. 1970. The maps for ‘Settlement around the Wash’ in The Fenland in Roman Times. MAP 3 SHEET C.
- <2> SLI14576 Report: Archaeological Project Services. 2010. Pinchbeck Willow Tree Farm, Deeping St Nicholas. APS site code: DNWT10.
- <3> SLI14577 Archive: Archaeological Project Services. 2010. Pinchbeck Willow Tree Farm, Deeping St Nicholas. LCNCC 2009.148.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred TF 1804 2140 (666m by 710m) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | DEEPING ST NICHOLAS, SOUTH HOLLAND, LINCOLNSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (3)
External Links (0)
Record last edited
Mar 21 2021 8:35PM
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