Details

The monument includes a Romano-Celtic temple, an earlier Iron Age shrine, and
a group of contemporary linear features representing associated boundaries and
roads, situated on a gentle, south east facing clay slope near the northern
edge of the Sussex coastal plain 5.5km north west of Chichester. The temple,
shrine and linear features survive in the form of below ground archaeological
deposits visible as crop marks on aerial photographs.
The Romano-Celtic temple building lies near the centre of the monument and is
a small, NNW-SSE aligned, square building with outer walls 15.5m long. It
takes the form of two concentric compartments, originally housing an
ambulatory, or covered outer walkway, enclosing a cella, or inner chamber.
Within the cella is a centrally placed square structure which has been
interpreted as a vault, pool or plinth. The building's entrance faces the
south east and overlooks part of Bosham stream, which is fed by a number of
natural springs rising 100m to the NNE, and flows south eastwards past the
eastern edge of the monument towards Bosham Channel in Chichester Harbour
2.5km to the south. Sharing the alignment of the temple building is a linear
boundary which adjoins its south eastern side. This has been interpreted as
part of an enclosing temenos wall. An identically aligned, double-ditched
linear feature recorded near the eastern edge of the monument may form part of
an associated Roman road or track. Crossing the north western sector of the
monument is a south west-north east aligned linear crop mark thought to
represent part of the main Roman road between Havant and Chichester. The
analysis of sherds of pottery found on the monument indicates that the temple
was in use during the late first to third centuries AD.
Lying approximately 45m to the south east of the Romano-Celtic temple
building, the earlier Iron Age shrine is visible as a NNE-SSW aligned,
sub-circular infilled ditch representing its temenos boundary. The temenos
originally surrounded an inner shrine structure, which will survive in the
form of buried traces.
Further buried archaeological deposits associated with the Romano-Celtic
temple and earlier shrine will survive in the areas between and around the
visible crop marks. A roughly west-east aligned, linear feature which crosses
the northern part of the monument is interpreted as the course of a former,
post-medieval field boundary.

MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

Romano-Celtic temples were built to meet the spiritual needs of the
communities they served by venerating the god or spirit considered to dwell in
a particular place. The temple building was regarded as the treasure house of
its deity and priests rather than as a congregational building and any
religious activities, including private worship, communal gatherings,
sanctuary and healing, took place outside.
Romano-Celtic temples included the temple building and a surrounding sacred
precinct or temenos which could be square, circular, rectangular or polygonal
in ground plan. The temple building invariably faced due east and was the
focus of the site, although it did not necessarily occupy the central position
in the temenos. It comprised a cella, or inner temple chamber, an ambulatory
or walkway around the cella, and sometimes annexes or antechambers. The
buildings were constructed of a variety of materials, including stone, cob and
timber, and walls were often plastered and painted both internally and
externally. Some temenoi enclosed other buildings, often substantial and built
in materials and styles similar to those of the temple; these are generally
interpreted as priests' houses, shops or guest houses.
Romano-Celtic temples were built and used throughout the Roman period from the
mid first century AD to the late fourth/early fifth century AD, with
individual examples being used for relatively long periods of time. They were
widespread throughout southern and eastern England, although there are no
examples in the far south west and they are rare nationally with only about
150 sites recorded in England. In view of their rarity and their importance in
contributing to the complete picture of Roman religious practice, including
its continuity from Iron Age practice, all Romano-Celtic temples with
surviving archaeological potential are considered to be of national
importance.

Prehistoric shrines date mainly to the later Iron Age (300 BC-AD 43) and are
usually smaller than Romano-Celtic temples, with an often timber-built,
rectangular or circular cella surrounded by an open or enclosed,
variably-shaped temenos. Some shrines, such as the example at Maiden Castle in
Dorset, are sited within contemporary hillforts or settlements, although
others are set apart in more isolated areas. Evidence from excavated examples
suggests that the temenos often contained pits within which votive offerings,
including pottery, coins, and metal objects, were deposited. Around 20
prehistoric shrines have been recorded nationally, with a distribution
confined to south eastern and central southern England. As such a rare
monument type, all examples with significant surviving remains are considered
to be of national importance.
The Romano-Celtic temple, prehistoric shrine and associated features north
west of Ratham Mill survive comparatively well, retaining archaeological and
environmental evidence relating to their original use. The close association
of the earlier shrine and later temple illustrates the continuity of religious
practice during the later Iron Age and Roman period, indicating a long-lived
sacred place within easy reach of the contemporary regional centres at
Fishbourne and Chichester.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
King, A, Soffe, G, 'Britannia' in A Romano-Celtic Temple At Ratham Mill, Funtington, West Sussex, , Vol. 14, (1983), 264-266
Other
Southern Archaeology, (1990)

Source: Historic England