Summary

The buried remains of a Roman-British roadside settlement which was occupied during the first and second centuries AD and possibly through to the third or fourth centuries.

Source: Historic England

Details

The site includes the buried archaeological remains of a Romano-British roadside settlement to the north-east of New House Farm which lies on a slight plateau that slopes towards Parlour Coppice to the south-east.

Investigations in the late C20 and early C21, including field walking, a geophysical survey and small excavation, revealed the buried remains of the Romano-British settlement including a road defined by ditches that is orientated north-west to south-east. There is a clear focus of occupation and structural activity to either side of the road including the remains of a number of close-set rectangular building plots, probably housing workshops and domestic residences. The excavation in 2009 also uncovered a possible furnace base, pits and other features which indicate industrial activities including metalworking at the site. A large assemblage of pottery has also been recovered, including some 1500 Roman sherds. They include a mixture of continental and regionally-traded wares such as Samian ware which, in form and decoration is characteristic of the Hadrianic-Antonine phase but also included pottery from the Claudian-Flavian and Trajanic-Hadrianic phases; Rhenish; Malvernian and Severn Valley wares; also amphorae and more Romanised vessels such as flagons, beakers and mortaria. Other finds include coins, brooches, other metalwork, quern stones and tegula tile as well as some prehistoric pottery and flints.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

The Romano-British settlement to the north-east of New House Farm is scheduled for the following principal reasons:
* Survival: despite being under cultivation, it survives well as buried deposits and preserves considerable detail of its plan;
* Documentation: the settlement is well-documented archaeologically, with evidence from field walking and excavation;
* Potential: archaeological investigations have indicated that it retains valuable information relating to the development of the settlement and this will also facilitate further studies of Romano-British settlement patterns and land use in the area more generally;
* Regional significance: the quantity and form of the pottery from the site has indicated that it had a close association with early military establishments in the area; the site will therefore contribute significantly to the study of Romanisation.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Gaffney, V L, White, RH, 'Journal of Roman Archaeology Supplementary Series, No. 68' in Wroxeter, the Cornovii, and the Urban Process. Final Report on the Wroxeter Hinterland Project 1994-1997, (2007)
Toms, G, 'Shropshire Newsletter' in Parlour Coppice, Upton Cressett, (1970)
White, R H, 'British Archaeology, No. 17' in Wroxeter, Rich in a Wealthy Land, (1996)
White, R, 'Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological Society' in Fieldwork Carried Out By The Wroxeter Hinterland Project 1994-7, (1997)

Source: Historic England