Site of Roman Villa 500m SW of Lower Spernall Farm

1 Pottery and building material were found at the above grid reference during field work in 1981. This was followed with a site visit by HMM, PMB and NJP.
2 A group of 26 sherds was examined. All the identifiable ones appear to be 3rd – 4th century. Building material included fragments of box-flue tile, and perhaps a pila, and also tufa. This suggests a solidly-built house with perhaps a small bath suite, or at least some heated rooms, of 3rd – 4th century date, although the possibility of earlier occupation cannot be ruled out. Fourteen sherds examined at a later date were of the same date range.
3 A Roman sestertius of Faustina Junior (d175 AD) was found with a metal detector on this site.
4 Air photograph.
5 Linear features, possibly forming enclosures, show on aerial photographs.
6Subtle, plough denuded earthworks which might actually be associated with the probable villa site appear to show on lidar imagery of this field. An unusual survival.