Information for record number MWA1518:
Site of Possible Roman Temple at Alcock's Arbour

Summary The possible site of a Roman temple. Roman coins and sherds of pottery have been found. The site is located at Alcock's Arbour, 1km south west of Haselor.
What Is It?  
Type: Temple
Period: Romano-British (43 AD - 409 AD)
Where Is It?  
Parish: Haselor
District: Stratford on Avon, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 11 56
(Data represented on this map shows the current selected record as a single point, this is for illustrative purposes only and does not represent an accurate or complete representation of archaeological sites or features)
Level of Protection National - Old SMR PrefRef (Grade: )
Sites & Monuments Record
Picture(s) attached

  
Description

  
Source Number  

1 1924: A few test pits were excavated indicating that the hill was natural rather than a Prehistoric barrow, as had been suggested.
2 A legend of hidden treasure resulted in an excavation. A little way down the NW side of the hill a large amount of Roman pottery and coins were found. The pottery was 2nd and 3rd century, the coins date from AD117-375. There must have been a building and a search was made for its foundations, but with no success.
3 1970: A Roman coin of Constantine and some Roman pottery was found while 'scratching' at Alcock's Arbour.
4 1967-74: Twelve further coins found and reported to Birmingham Museum and also a brooch, a bronze bracelet with ring and dot motif and a penannular brooch.
5 Alcock's Arbour is a small wooded hill which stands adjacent to the Alcester - Stratford on Avon Roman road. The hill is not very high, but is isolated and steep. Surface survey in 1979 produced evidence for some irregularities, including the site of the 1920s excavations. Most of the pottery is worn and slightly soft. Two Samian sherds are of Antonine date, most of the rest of the pot is coarse ware. Severn Valley ware makes up over half the total. Use of the site from the early 2nd century to the late 4th century is indicated. The site's location indicates that it is probably not domestic. A temple perhaps seems probable.
6 1981: Finds from the NW slope of the site were made with a metal detector. These included eight coins.
7 44 coins from the site have been found.
8 Finds include one 4th century Roman coin.
9 Correspondence and identification of RB items from 1974.
10 Undated summary of the site.
11 RB pottery fabric series breakdown.
12 Photograph of coin of Allectus.
13 Roman site was visited several times by Davis. He carried out some digging here, finding a good deal of pottery. Seems to detail different episode to
2. Entry from Davis' diary reads "Went to Arbour wood. Brought away some pottery from the top of the wood. Some of the sherds are soft and Thomas May said they were from a Roman kiln and were throw-outs. Some other sherds hard and well burnt." (23 June 1927). Coins dating 117-375 also found here.
 
Sources
Source No: 13
Source Type: Bibliographic reference
Title: Alcester Notes
Author/originator: W A Seaby
Date: 1954
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 9
Source Type: Correspondence
Title: Alcock's Arbour
Author/originator: WM
Date: 1974
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 3
Source Type: Correspondence
Title: Alcock's Arbour, Haselor
Author/originator: Mrs Harris
Date: 1970
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 6
Source Type: Correspondence
Title: Alcock's Arbour
Author/originator: WM
Date: 1981-2
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 10
Source Type: Descriptive Text
Title: Alcock's Arbour
Author/originator:
Date: Pre 1980
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 11
Source Type: Excavation archive
Title: Pottery from Alcock's Arbour
Author/originator:
Date:
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 8
Source Type: Museum Enquiry Form
Title: WMEF 320
Author/originator: WM
Date: 1986
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 320
   
Source No: 12
Source Type: Photograph
Title: RB coin from Alcock's Arbour
Author/originator:
Date:
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 4
Source Type: Serial
Title: TBAS vol 87
Author/originator: Taylor R
Date: 1975
Page Number: 131
Volume/Sheet: 87
   
Source No: 1
Source Type: Serial
Title: TBAS vol 50
Author/originator:
Date: 1924
Page Number: 78
Volume/Sheet: 50
   
Source No: 2
Source Type: Serial
Title: TBAS vol 52
Author/originator:
Date: 1927
Page Number: 303-4
Volume/Sheet: 52
   
Source No: 5
Source Type: Unpublished document
Title: Alcock's Arbour: A Roman Hilltop Settlement Near Alcester
Author/originator: Goddard N
Date: 1980
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: Alcock's Arbour
   
Source No: 7
Source Type: Unpublished document
Title: Coins found at Alcock's Arbour
Author/originator: Seaby, W.A.
Date:
Page Number: 320
Volume/Sheet: Enquiry
   
Images:  
Roman coin from Haselor
Copyright: Warwickshire County Council
Click here for larger image  
 
Roman coin from Haselor
Copyright: Warwickshire County Council
Click here for larger image  
 
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Glossary

 
Word or Phrase
Description  
source TBAS Transactions of the Birmingham and Warwickshire Archaeological Society is a journal produced by the society annually. It contains articles about archaeological field work that has taken place in Birmingham and Warwickshire in previous years. Copies of the journal are kept by the Warwickshire Sites and Monuments Record. back
source WMEF Warwickshire Museum Enquiry Form. These are forms that are filled in when a person brings an object to Warwickshire Museum to be identified. Amongst the information recorded on the form are details such as a description of the object, where and when it was found, and in some cases a sketch or photographs of it. Copies of the form can be viewed at the Warwickshire Sites and Monuments Record. back
technique excavation Archaeologists excavate sites so that they can find information and recover archaeological materials before they are destroyed by erosion, construction or changes in land-use.

Depending on how complicated and widespread the archaeological deposits are, excavation can be done by hand or with heavy machinery. Archaeologists may excavate a site in a number of ways; either by open area excavation, by digging a test pit or a trial trench.
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technique Test Pit A small, exploratory excavation that helps archaeologists to find out how deep below the ground surface the archaeological layers extend. They are also dug to discover whether the topsoil contains particular concentrations of artefacts. Test pits are dug before a large excavation to determine a site's depth and contents. back
period Prehistoric About 500,000 BC to 42 AD

The Prehistoric period covers all the periods from the Palaeolithic to the end of the Iron Age.
This is a time when people did not write anything down so there is no documentary evidence for archaeologists to look at. Instead, the archaeologists look at the material culture belonging to the people and the places where they lived for clues about their way of life.

The Prehistoric period is divided into the Early Prehistoric and Later Prehistoric.
The Early Prehistoric period covers the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic periods.
The Later Prehistoric period covers Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age times.
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period Roman About 43 AD to 409 AD (the 1st century AD to the 5th century AD)

The Roman period comes after the Iron Age and before the Saxon period.

The Roman period in Britain began in 43 AD when a Roman commander called Aulus Plautius invaded the south coast, near Kent. There were a series of skirmishes with the native Britons, who were defeated. In the months that followed, more Roman troops arrived and slowly moved westwards and northwards.
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monument BARROW * Artificial mound of earth, turf and/or stone, normally constructed to contain or conceal burials. Use specific type where known. back
monument SITE * Unclassifiable site with minimal information. Specify site type wherever possible. back
monument HARD * A firm beach or foreshore used for landing and loading of ships and other vessels. In more recent times hards have been reinforced with concrete. back
monument SETTLEMENT * A small concentration of dwellings. back
monument KILN * A furnace or oven for burning, baking or drying. Use specific type where known. back
monument BUILDING * A structure with a roof to provide shelter from the weather for occupants or contents. Use specific type where known. back
monument ARBOUR * A lattice work bower or shady retreat covered with climbing plants. back
monument ROAD * A way between different places, used by horses, travellers on foot and vehicles. back
monument WELL * A shaft or pit dug in the ground over a supply of spring-water. back
monument MUSEUM * A building, group of buildings or space within a building, where objects of value such as works of art, antiquities, scientific specimens, or other artefacts are housed and displayed. back
monument WOOD * A tract of land with trees, sometimes acting as a boundary or barrier, usually smaller and less wild than a forest. back
monument TEMPLE * Use for places of worship. For later landscape features use, eg. GARDEN TEMPLE. back
monument DOMESTIC * This is the top term for the class. See DOMESTIC Class List for narrow terms. back

* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)

English Heritage National Monuments Record