Information for record number MWA2673:
The Lunt Roman Fort: Period 1

Summary The Lunt, a fort that was rebuilt several times throughout the Roman period. A section of the defences, the barracks and a granary have been found from the earliest phase of fort during archaeological excavations. The Roman fort is situated north of Coventry Road, Baginton.
What Is It?  
Type: Fort, Building, Granary, Barracks
Period: Romano-British (43 AD - 409 AD)
Where Is It?  
Parish: Baginton
District: Warwick, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 34 75
(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: )
Scheduled Monument (Grade: )
Sites & Monuments Record
Picture(s) attached

  
Description

  
Source Number  

1 `The Lunt' is an almost vertical wooded escarpment above the River Sowe. An ideal location for a Roman fort. In 1960-1 an excavation on the E and W slopes located defensive ditches and part of the interior of the fort was excavated. In 1966 an excavation was undertaken with the intention of restoring the fort and opening it to the public. Occupation belongs to the late Neronian - early Flavian period (cAD 60-79). Evidence was found for two distinct periods (see PRN 5297 for Phase 2). In 1967 a trench was opened immediately behind the E rampart and other slip trenches were excavated to locate the defences. A long narrow timber building with a porch (?) and a rock-cut water tank was uncovered together with beam-slots. Finds included coins, Samian, coarse pottery and military bronzes.
2 Further excavations 1968-71. A number of distinct phases within period 1 (cAD 60-64) were distinguished. In each phase `barrack-like' buildings existed. The Period 1 fort was larger than its successor and the defences have not yet been located, but it evidently enclosed a larger area than the Period 2 fort. On the E side the rampart was possibly turf without a ditch. In addition to barrack-blocks a granary was located at the NE corner of the fort.
3 Further excavations after 1971 produced further detailed evidence on the structure of the fort.
10 Lunt fort western defences examined 1983. ditch of period III and buildings sequence of periods I+III investigated.
11 Noted in Britannia (1985).
12 excavations in 1997 revealed two post holes. Deposits probably representing a demolished or collapsed wall. An ephemeral curvi-linear feature and sub-triangular pit were also found.
13 excavations between 1988 and 1991 in the NW part of the fort found considerable plough disturbance of Roman deposits. However, observations in a sewer trench in 1991 produced the first possible evidence of Period I defences in the form of the bottom of a ditch and a layer of decayed turf. Remains of agricultural buildings possibly associated with Period I were also discovered in the excavations.
14 excavations of Period 1 Western defences in 1999 revealed the remains of what may have been a kiln.
15 General article from Current Archaeology.
16 General article from Current Archaeology.
17 excavations on the Western defences 1998. Showed medieval activity as well as Romano-British.
18Report on work 2001.
19 Scheduling revision.
20 Scheduling record from 1978 showing the extended area of the monument.
21 Letter relating to an application to reconstruct part of the ramparts.
22 Letter from EH about methodology.
23 excavation report from 1989.
24 Fax from 1998.
25 Communication from EH.
26 Letter relating to application for further excavation.
27 Correspondence from the University of British Columbia about the on-going work.
 
Sources
Source No: 28
Source Type: Article in monograph
Title: True as Coventry Blue, Papers presented to Margaret Rylatt (City Archaeologist, Coventry 1973-2000)
Author/originator: Soden I (eds)
Date: 2000
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 15
Source Type: Article in serial
Title: Baginton
Author/originator: Hobley, Brian
Date: 1967
Page Number: 86-89
Volume/Sheet: 4
   
Source No: 16
Source Type: Article in serial
Title: The Lunt
Author/originator: Hobley, Brian
Date: 1971
Page Number: 16-21
Volume/Sheet: 24
   
Source No: 10
Source Type: Article in serial
Title: Britannia: Roman Britain in 1983
Author/originator: S S Frere, MWC Hassall and R S O Tomlin
Date: 1984
Page Number: 265-356
Volume/Sheet: 15
   
Source No: 21
Source Type: Correspondence
Title: The Lunt
Author/originator: DoE
Date: 1985
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 22
Source Type: Correspondence
Title: The Lunt
Author/originator: EH
Date: 1988
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 24
Source Type: Correspondence
Title: The Lunt
Author/originator: WM
Date: 1994
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 25
Source Type: Correspondence
Title: The Lunt
Author/originator: EH
Date: 1998
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 26
Source Type: Correspondence
Title: The Lunt
Author/originator: EH
Date: 1998
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 27
Source Type: Correspondence
Title: The Lunt
Author/originator: Barrett A
Date: 2001
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 17
Source Type: Excavation Report
Title: Lunt Roman Fort - Interim Report 1998: The Western Defences.
Author/originator: Barrett, Prof. Antony A. et al.
Date: 1998
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 23
Source Type: Excavation Report
Title: The Lunt
Author/originator: Rylatt, M and Baddeley, C
Date: 1989
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 12
Source Type: Excavation Report
Title: Lunt Roman Fort
Author/originator: Barrett, A.A. Kelly, S.E. Esnor, S. Perry, J.G
Date: 1997
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 2
Source Type: Excavation Report
Title: TBAS vol 85
Author/originator: Hobley B
Date: 1973
Page Number: 7-92
Volume/Sheet: 85
   
Source No: 3
Source Type: Excavation Report
Title: TBAS vol 87
Author/originator: Hobley B
Date: 1975
Page Number: 1-46
Volume/Sheet: 87
   
Source No: 1
Source Type: Excavation Report
Title: TBAS vol 83
Author/originator: Hobley B
Date: 1969
Page Number: 65-129
Volume/Sheet: 83
   
Source No: 14
Source Type: Excavation Report
Title: Lunt Roman Fort: Interim Report 1999
Author/originator: A Barrett and J Perry
Date: 1999
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 18
Source Type: Excavation Report
Title: Lunt Roman Fort: Intermin Report 2001
Author/originator: Anon - University of British Columbia 2001
Date: 2001
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 4
Source Type: Plan
Title: TBAS vol 87
Author/originator: Hobley B
Date: 1975
Page Number: Fig 1
Volume/Sheet: 87
   
Source No: 7
Source Type: Record Card/Form
Title: OS Card 46SE10
Author/originator: Ordnance Survey
Date: 1974
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 46SE10
   
Source No: 13
Source Type: Serial
Title: Excavations at the Lunt Roman Fort (1988-91): The Western Defences
Author/originator: Classical Views. Barrett, A A & Perry, J G
Date: 1992
Page Number: 201-209
Volume/Sheet: Vol XXXVI, No 11
   
Source No: 11
Source Type: Serial
Title: The Lunt
Author/originator: Rylatt M
Date: 1985
Page Number: 286
Volume/Sheet: 16
   
Source No: 9
Source Type: Serial
Title: West Midlands Archaeology 34 (WMA Volume 34)
Author/originator: CBA Group 8
Date: 1991
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 34
   
Source No: 8
Source Type: Serial
Title: The Lunt
Author/originator: Rylatt M, Handley P
Date: 1985
Page Number: 25-9
Volume/Sheet: 6(7)
   
Source No: 19
Source Type: Scheduling record
Title: Roman Fort at the Lunt
Author/originator: EH
Date: 2000
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 20
Source Type: Scheduling record
Title: Roman Fort on the Lunt (additional area)
Author/originator: DoE
Date: 1978
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 6
Source Type: Scheduling record
Title: SAM County Index
Author/originator: DoE
Date: 1983
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 3
   
Source No: 5
Source Type: Scheduling record
Title: Roman Fort on the Lunt
Author/originator: Ministry of Works/DoE
Date:
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Images:  
Excavations at The Lunt Roman Fort, Baginton
Copyright: Warwickshire County Council
Date: 2001
Click here for larger image  
 
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Glossary

 
Word or Phrase
Description  
none Scheduled Monument Scheduled Ancient Monuments (SAMs) are those archaeological sites which are legally recognised as being of national importance. They can range in date from prehistoric times to the Cold War period. They can take many different forms, including disused buildings or sites surviving as earthworks or cropmarks.

SAMs are protected by law from unlicensed disturbance and metal detecting. Written consent from the Secretary of State must be obtained before any sort of work can begin, including archaeological work such as geophysical survey or archaeological excavation. There are nearly 200 SAMs in Warwickshire.
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source Britannia Britannia, the journal of the Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies which contains articles about the archaeology of Roman Britain. It is published annually and copies are held at the Warwickshire Sites and Monuments Record. back
source OS Card Ordnance Survey Record Card. Before the 1970s the Ordnance Survey (OS) were responsible for recording archaeological monuments during mapping exercises. This helped the Ordnance Survey to decide which monuments to publish on maps. During these exercises the details of the monuments were written down on record cards. Copies of some of the cards are kept at the Warwickshire Sites and Monuments Record. The responsibility for recording archaeological monuments later passed to the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historic Monuments. back
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 WMA West Midlands Archaeology. This publication contains a short description for each of the sites where archaeological work has taken place in the previous year. It covers Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands and Worcestershire. Some of these descriptions include photographs, plans and drawings of the sites and/or the finds that have been discovered. The publication is produced by the Council For British Archaeology (CBA) West Midlands and is published annually. Copies are held 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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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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period Medieval 1066 AD to 1539 AD (the 11th century AD to the 16th century AD)

The medieval period comes after the Saxon period and before the post medieval period.

The Medieval period begins in 1066 AD.
This was the year that the Normans, led by William the Conqueror (1066 – 1087), invaded England and defeated Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings in East Sussex.
The Medieval period includes the first half of the Tudor period (1485 – 1603 AD), when the Tudor family reigned in England and eventually in Scotland too.

The end of the Medieval period is marked by Henry VIII’s (1509 – 1547) order for the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the years running up to 1539 AD. The whole of this period is sometimes called the Middle Ages.
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monument UNIVERSITY * A group of colleges and associated buildings belonging to a university. back
monument LAYER * An archaeological unit of soil in a horizontal plane which may seal features or be cut through by other features. 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 SEWER * A large drain or conduit for carrying away wastes. back
monument BARRACKS * A building used to house members of the armed forces. back
monument WATER TANK * A receptacle for the storage of water. back
monument FORT * A permanently occupied position or building designed primarily for defence. back
monument RAMPART * A protective earthen mound, often the main defence of a fortification. back
monument ROAD * A way between different places, used by horses, travellers on foot and vehicles. back
monument AGRICULTURAL BUILDING * A building used for an agricultural and/or subsistence purpose. Use more specific type where known. back
monument PIT * A hole or cavity in the ground, either natural or the result of excavation. Use more specific type where known. back
monument LINEAR FEATURE * A length of straight, curved or angled earthwork or cropmark of uncertain date or function. back
monument WELL * A shaft or pit dug in the ground over a supply of spring-water. back
monument DEFENCE * This is the top term for the class. See DEFENCE Class List for narrow terms. back
monument TRENCH * An excavation used as a means of concealment, protection or both. back
monument DITCH * A long and narrow hollow or trench dug in the ground, often used to carry water though it may be dry for much of the year. back
monument STRUCTURE * A construction of unknown function, either extant or implied by archaeological evidence. If known, use more specific type. back
monument GRANARY * A building, or first-floor room in a building, for the dry and secure storage of grain after it has been threshed and winnowed. back
monument WALL * An enclosing structure composed of bricks, stones or similar materials, laid in courses. Use specific type where known. back
monument POST HOLE * A hole dug to provide a firm base for an upright post, often with stone packing. Use broader monument type where known. back

* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)

English Heritage National Monuments Record