Site of Roman Villa 600m N of Ireland Farm, Gaydon.

1 Site under permanent pasture until World War II. The farmer has for several years picked up potsherds and fragments of stone and also a penannular brooch. The field is exceptionally difficult to plough, the implement meeting resistance at numerous points; the ploughing depth has not exceeded 13cm. He reports also an extensive spread of burnt material. The area of plough resistance, over which the finds were made, covers about 3.5 ha. Finds include Midland grey wares, Oxfordshire, Nene Valley, Mancetter mortaria and some Samian. The pottery indicates occupation from mid to late 2nd century to 4th century. Roof tile, fragments of both imbrex and tegula and quantities of building stone indicate substantial structures. A piece of flue tile suggests the presence of heated rooms or baths. Other finds include an animal head terminal penannular brooch, two millstone grit rotary quern fragments, two lumps of bloomery slag and numerous animal bones. Dr Webster visited the site on 5th May 1976 when the winter wheat had reached c15cm. Many slight irregularities of surface and colour gradations in the crop were visible and at cSP36635310 a N-S and E-W range of buildings were detected.
4 The site is in good condition and the management agreement adhered to.
5 Described.
6 Pre-scheduling letters to the owner and to the DoE about the site.
7 Letter from EH about a request to shallow plough part of the site.