Roman settlement, near Hepworth Hall (EHER 9349)

In 1955 much Roman tile was recorded in a river bank and subsequent excavations discovered pottery dating from AD 60 to 160, but no building remains. Roman brick was found during field walking. A possible Roman settlement site.

Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: In 1955 much Roman tile was noticed in the banks of the river on each side of the point where it is crossed by the railway about 1/4 mile south of Hepworth Hall, Halstead. About the same time Mr J. Lindsay found pottery including Samian ware of F.79 dating to AD 190, on the west side of the stream near the Hall. Other pottery has been found by Mr. Smallwood in the field between the Hall and the river. There was enough to indicate a settlement here. <1> - <4> Dredging of the river has brought to light Romano-British pottery of all periods. A series of trenches were dug in the meadow but results were disappointing. Trial trenches exposed a Roman occupation level with pottery finds from AD 60 -160, but no positive sign of buildings. It seems from the way in which much evidence has been disturbed that the field was under plough for a long time in its history. In no place was more than one layer of Roman material undisturbed. Much Roman pottery, from the 1st century to the end of the Roman period was found. One trench produced a fragment of jet stamped with concentric impressions. Another produced 3 coins, one a small heavily corroded 4th century bronze issue, the other two barbarous radiates. The area is crossed by the north-south Roman road from Braintree to Long Melford and the finds with indicate native settlement in this area. <5> July 1976. Field visit. No further signs of Roman occupation were seen in the fields below Hepworth Hall or in the adjacent banks of the River Colne. The area is composed of sand and gravel at present under pasture. According to the farmer at the Hall, no further discoveries have been made since the investigation in the 1950s. No trace of this supposed settlement visible on RAF air photographs. <6> - <8>