NHER 65090 (Monument record) - Roman inhumation cemetery and other remains of Roman or later date

September 2017. Desk-based Assessment and Field Observation.
Heritage Statement produced for proposed new swimming pool.
This assessment concluded the site lies within an area of high archaeological potential, primarily due to the extensive evidence for Roman-period activity in the vicinity. The Thatched Cottage is shown to have been built during the 1930 on what had been open agricultural land from at least the late post-medieval period onwards.
The potential for the site to contain remains of Roman date was demonstrated during a site visit, with the spoil from a recently excavated soakaway (located at approximately [1]) found to contain a large quantity of Roman ceramic building material, including tegula roof tiles and possible floor tiles. A significant amount of lime mortar was also present, suggesting this material represented demolition debris from some form of Roman masonry building. The form of the tegula suggests a probable 2nd- or 3rd-century date for the assemblage.
A rapid search of the flowerbeds surrounding the proposed site of the swimming pool recovered only post-medieval pottery sherds.
See report (S1) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 15 June 2021.

November 2017 and January-February 2018. Trial Trench and Excavation.
Programme of archaeological work undertaken prior to construction of new swimming pool.
A single evaluation trench was excavated, with the expectation that a full excavation of the swimming pool’s footprint would be undertaken if significant remains were encountered. This trench exposed a probable Roman burial and several linear features so a full excavation was therefore undertaken soon after. A total of 16 erratically aligned graves were excavated, with an additional skeleton found in an adjacent ditch. Grave goods associated with the burials including jet buttons, a copper alloy twisted bracelet, a dolphin brooch and a complete Roman dish. Other finds recovered from the graves included a number of possible coffin nails and a small amount of Roman pottery.
The majority of the other features recorded are also thought to be of Roman date, including a sequence of ditches to the south of the burials and a clusters of pits and possible post-holes to the north.
A chalk platform partially exposed in the south-west corner of the excavation area had a curvilinear ring of what appeared to be stake-holes around its margin, suggesting it presented the remains of some form of structure. Although this is also currently thought to be associated with the Roman phase of activity it should be noted that archaeological work at the site to the west (NHER 54903) revealed structural remains of probable medieval to post-medieval date.
The small number of post-Roman finds recovered during this work included two post-medieval pottery sherds and five medieval and post-medieval metal objects.
Information from summary assessment report (S2). Final reports awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 15 June 2021.

An email sent by a member of the public in late 2017 [1] mentions "…another skull…discovered a few years ago near the site…". The location of this earlier discovery is currently unknown. It is though clear that the Roman cemetery extends beyond the area excavated for the swimming pool, with only its western limits potentially established.
P. Watkins (HES), 15 June 2021.