Roman villa at Church of St Barnabas (EHER 9317)

Site of a Roman building indicated by a rectangular cropmark and surface finds of roof and box flue tiles, pottery and other building debris; probably the site of a Roman villa. Findspot of Belgic pottery suggests earlier occupation of the site. Summary from record 9318: Fragment of a dish in Belgic technique but of Gallo-Belgic form has been found in the churchyard.

Monument description derived from merging EHER 9317 and 9318. Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: Roman Building (R) (Site of) (NAT). <1> Roman pottery mostly 1st century AD, a bronze needle, a coin of Valerian and another probably of Magnentius, also a Belgic sherd, has been found in Alphamstone churchyard. Fragment of a dish in Belgic technique but of Gallo-Belgic form has been found in the churchyard. It is in Colchester Museum. The south hedge of the churchyard is on the line of a rubble and mortar wall. Walls and burnt rubbish reported in the adjacent field. Finds in Colchester Museum (368-370.29). A former owner of the adjacent field reported walls and burnt rubbish extending southwards from the churchyard and fragments of roofing tile lie about. A reference to a Roman urn burial here is probably a confusion with the Bronze Age burials which have been found in and near the churchyard. <2> - <6> ES 1 Listed as the site of a Roman villa. <7> Villa partly under churchyard. <8> No trace of building seen on OS air photographs (irregular soilmarks only). <9> June 1950. Field visit. Fragments of tegulae, imbrices, box flue tiles, sherds of native ware and nodules of flint found on the surface of the field south of the church. The field was under crops and a crop mark was visible at TL 87873540, 10m by 7m The crop showed stunted growth and building material was seen on the surface. The retired sexton had many fragments of brick and tile found in digging graves in the churchyard. <10> <11> July 1976. Field visit. The site, at present under stubble, is situated on an east facing slope and is marked by debris scattered over an area about 50m across with a density of 6 sherds per square metre. No trace of walling was seen on the surface nor in the west boundary of the churchyard. According to the rector no further finds have been made. <12> <13> 1991. Excavation The following finds were made from the field to the south of the church in 1991: A large collection (together with Roman tile, tesserae and wall fragments) of sherds mainly of third and fourth century date with some earlier pieces. These included later second/third century Samian, poppyhead beaker and East Anglian mortarium and third/fourth century BB1 bowl, sandy grey ware dishes and bowls, fine grey ware jars and Nene valley ware. Excavations by Mr Peter Simpson of Alphamstone produced two sherds, one of Samian and the other of late Roman shell-tempered ware (later 4th century). <14> 1993. Site visit. There was a dense spread of Roman pot and floor tile, supporting the existence of a substantial building. <15> August 1995. Scheduling. The field south of the churchyard has been scheduled as the supposed site of a Roman villa. Evidence includes a rectangular cropmark 10 x 7 m, and recent finds of Roman building materials including painted wall plaster. The southern boundary of the churchyard wall is thought to be built on Roman foundations. <16> 2004. Geophysical survey. A geophysical survey by resistivity and magnetometry over the scheduled site in 2004 produced mixed results. To the west of the site potential wall lines were recorded. Over the site itself several strong anomalies were recorded but nothing which corresponds with a building plan. <17> See also: <18>