Monument record 1080/0/35 - Roman settlement, Harbutt's Field South

Watching brief undertaken in 1999, as part of an on-going programme of archaeological evaluation initiated in 1993 and associated with the development of residential housing. This watching brief was to monitor groundworks associated with the installation of a sewer pipeline trench located along southern edge of Harbutt's Field. Harbutt's Field is the location of a Scheduled Roman fort (1080/1/0) and thus Scheduled Monument Consent was required for this work.

Several phases of Roman activity were identified. Phase 1 identified a sub-circular, timber structure (Structure 1) associated with a small bowl furnace/oven. No Roman artefacts were retrieved. Phase 2 recorded a long, rectangular, strip building circa 28m x 4m, with associated pits and Flavian/Trajanic pottery. It was located immediately outside the southern entrance to the fort and its alignment suggests it was contemporary with it. Phase 3, dating to AD 120 - 150, saw alterations to Structure 1 resulting in Structure 2, including the construction of clay floors and ovens. A pair of parallel linear gullies, aligned NE/SW and circa 4.5m apart, may represent a track/droveway. During Phase 4 (AD 140-180) an oval-shaped building was built (Structure 3). Additionally a line of pits, linked by a linear gully, were recorded and are possibly associated with water management. In Phase 5 a metalled surface was laid above and on same alignment as the phase 3 track/droveway. This sealed contexts with pottery dating to AD 180-220. Clay floors and oven bases were also recorded in this phase. Finds include coarse wares from 120 - 230 AD, samian, mortaria, amphorae, also vessel glass, however, no 4th century pottery was retrieved.

The Harbutt's Field fort was probably established in the 1st century AD and became the focus for associated settlement to the south. The evidence would suggest that the settlement also changed from Romanised building structures of rectangular form to a native building tradition of sub-rounded structures. Pits located immediately to the south of the fort ramparts would suggest that the fort was abandoned by the Antonine period, the settlement in Harbutt's Field does not appear to continue beyond this date.

<1> Gifford and Partners, 1999, Report on Archaeological Investigations at King Street, Middlewich, Cheshire, R2450 (Client Report). SCH4415.

Watching brief undertaken in 1999, as part of an on-going programme of archaeological evaluation initiated in 1993 and associated with the development of residential housing. This watching brief was to monitor groundworks associated with the installation of a sewer pipeline trench located along southern edge of Harbutt's Field. Harbutt's Field is the location of a Scheduled Roman fort (1080/1/0) and thus Scheduled Monument Consent was required for this work.

Several phases of Roman activity were identified. Phase 1 identified a sub-circular, timber structure (Structure 1) associated with a small bowl furnace/oven. No Roman artefacts were retrieved. Phase 2 recorded a long, rectangular, strip building circa 28m x 4m, with associated pits and Flavian/Trajanic pottery. It was located immediately outside the southern entrance to the fort and its alignment suggests it was contemporary with it. Phase 3, dating to AD 120 - 150, saw alterations to Structure 1 resulting in Structure 2, including the construction of clay floors and ovens. A pair of parallel linear gullies, aligned NE/SW and circa 4.5m apart, may represent a track/droveway. During Phase 4 (AD 140-180) an oval-shaped building was built (Structure 3). Additionally a line of pits, linked by a linear gully, were recorded and are possibly associated with water management. In Phase 5 a metalled surface was laid above and on same alignment as the phase 3 track/droveway. This sealed contexts with pottery dating to AD 180-220. Clay floors and oven bases were also recorded in this phase. Finds include coarse wares from 120 - 230 AD, samian, mortaria, amphorae, also vessel glass, however, no 4th century pottery was retrieved.

The Harbutt's Field fort was probably established in the 1st century AD and became the focus for associated settlement to the south. The evidence would suggest that the settlement also changed from Romanised building structures of rectangular form to a native building tradition of sub-rounded structures. Pits located immediately to the south of the fort ramparts would suggest that the fort was abandoned by the Antonine period, the settlement in Harbutt's Field does not appear to continue beyond this date.