Roman settlement at Fitzjohns (EHER 4528)

A probable Roman occupation site with building material, coins, pottery, bricks tiles and brooches with rings, pins, buckles, chain and bracelets, excavated in 1868.

Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: Roman remains found at Fitzjohns, Great Canfield. In one field fragments of Roman pottery including black, grey, yellow and white, and Samian ware also found. Also a few coins, including one of Tetricus. In the next field much pottery, brick and tile fragments, charcoal, glass, bones, iron, oyster shells, small snail shells and mussels were found plus coins and fibulae. An urnfield was found in another part of this field. All the finds were made during amateur excavations in about 1868, badly written up with vague descriptions of findspots. The position given as alongside an old footpath from High Roding to Hatfield Broad Oak. As the Fitzjohn's estate was extensive there are many paths in this category. A collection of Roman remains from a field at Fitzjohn's was presented to Colchester Museum in 1939. Objects ranged from pottery of forms 221, 265 (Claudius-Nero) and five brooches (two of derived Nauheim type, three of derived Colchester type) to the late Roman period. Also a bronze spatula with a small blade, a bronze rod-probably a steelyard arm, a bronze pin 5" long, a pair of bronze tweezers and pieces of bronze, including rings, pins, buckles, chains, bracelets etc. In the area centred TL 57701806 the OS Field Officer found numerous small sherds of coarse, gritted, grey, native Romano-British ware. <1> - <3> Field inspected by ECC after drainage in winter 1974-5. Nothing found in field drains. Concentrations of tile and pot indicated in adjoining fields. Further finds of Roman pottery and metalwork reported from this site (Pers comm from M Pallet.) <4> Area inspected is shaded on a map. <5> Drawings of finds. <6> Mr Perry's finds included an enamelled bronze brooch found at TL 575175 and dated by Hull to the 2nd quarter of the 2nd century. It is his type 149B No 9877 in his catalogue supplement. Also an incomplete bronze spatula, two coins, probably 2nd century, but both illegible (examined by Dr D T-D Clarke. Exact findspots unknown. <7> <8> Photographs. <9> Excavated finds in Colchester Museum. <10> VCH on early excavations reports an iron spur, a rough paved stone path and hand-mills "found everywhere". <11> February 1950. Field survey. In the area centred at 52/5718/7006 I found numerous small sherds coarse, gritted grey native RB ware. In the area centred at 52/5718/7907 I found numerous sherds of coarse, gritted grey native RB ware, several of gritted red ware of a later type, a single coarse sherd of a storage jar grey in colour, a single plain sherd of Samian ware and a number of fragments of much weathered tegulae some of which retain the flanged side. This area in my opinion is the one most likely to be the one in which the 19th cent. excavations were made. None of the local people know the position of the excavation so I have no confirmation of the fact. <12> <13> July 1973. Field survey. In recent years further evidence of Ro occupation has been found centred TL 576 179 (the area banded on the OS 6" field sheet). The entire area is at present under crop, but the Farm Manager Mr L.J. Perry <14> states that there is much surface evidence of pottery, including Samian ware, and tile in this area, particularly in the field centred TL 5752 1766 and area TL 576 180. Mr Perry has in his possession a complete Ro brooch and the ladle end of a Ro "ointment spoon" which were found during ploughing in area TL 574 175. He also found two Roman bronze coins, possible of Severus, in area TL 575 177. Miscellaneous objects also found within the banded area include polished stones and probable loom weights. <15> <16> See: <17>