Summary

Roman villa.

Source: Historic England

Details

Roman villa.

PRINCIPAL ELEMENTS

The monument includes the Roman villa surviving as buried archaeological deposits over an area of approximately 3ha.

DESCRIPTION

The Roman villa, centred at SK 6463 0750, is situated approximately 6.7km north-east of the historic centre of Leicester and 4.5km east of the Fosse Way. Topographically the villa lies at around 75-85m above OD where it occupies a relatively steep south-facing slope overlooking Melton Brook to the south. It is under arable cultivation. The excavations of 1955 and 1976 have indicated the variable degrees of preservation across the site. In some places buried wall remains comprise two courses whereas in other areas only patchy footings remain. This may be attributed to medieval cultivation practices where the better preserved remains lie protected beneath the ridges.

There are three distinct areas of archaeological significance. The original villa remains, identified during the 1955 excavation, which encompass an 100ft ² area of buried building material centred at SK 6458 0758, with a short stretch of Roman access road running up to the villa from the west. To the south-east of this, the possible bath house, discovered during the 1976 excavation, encompasses a rubble spread centred at SK 6462 0754. Again to the south-east, centred at SK 6472 0743, is an area of possible ploughed building debris.

A larger area surrounding all three of the identified areas is scheduled to allow for inaccuracies in locating the specific sites as well as to protect any archaeology that may remain between the three areas. Although intrinsic evidence indicating archaeological remains outside of these areas is not available, it should be assumed that the identified structures situated here would have been related during the Roman period even if they are not fully contemporary. Other features such as tracks and leats may have also run between the areas. It is also possible that there are other minor structures between these sites that have not been detected by the archaeological techniques deployed to date.

EXTENT OF SCHEDULING

The area of protection includes the site of the Roman villa. Any track surfaces, fences and fence posts are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath them is included.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

The Roman villa north of Hamilton Grounds Farm is scheduled for the following principal reasons:

Period:

* Roman villas are amongst the most characteristic settlements of the Roman period and as such are of great national importance;

Diversity:

* the site includes a diversity of features, notably the villa, possible bath house and a short stretch of Roman access road;

Survival:

* despite undergoing cultivation, the site is reasonably well preserved, retaining information relating to its construction, layout, use and abandonment, as well as its duration of use;

Potential:

* the villa not only adds to our understanding of Roman society and its economy but should be considered as a very important component within a rich historical landscape where archaeological remains and deposits in and around the villa would provide further information on the development of both the villa itself and the wider urban and rural landscape;

Group value:

* it is more than likely that the archaeological remains would have had a strong relationship with the vast multi-phased prehistoric settlement sites to the west. The proximity of the scheduled abandoned medieval village of Hamilton, also to the west of the Roman villa, locates it within a sequence of sites that developed through time, further enhancing its group value.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
1977 ‘Archaeology in Leicestershire and Rutland 1977’, Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, Transactions, 52, 87.
Charles, B H, Parkinson, A and Foreman, S 2000 ‘A Bronze Age Ditch and Iron Age Settlement at Elms Farm, Humberstone, Leicester’, Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, Transactions, 74, 113-220.
Clarke, D T-C 1956 ‘Archaeology in Leicestershire 1956-57’, Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, Transactions, 32, 94-5.
McWhirr, A 1976 ‘Archaeology in Leicestershire and Rutland 1976’, Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, Transactions, 51, 98-9.
Thomas, J 2008 Excavation of an Iron Age ‘Aggregated’ Settlement at Manor Farm, Humberstone, Leicester. Leicester: University of Leicester Archaeological Services.

Source: Historic England