Information for record number MWA2788:
Site of Tripontium Roman Settlement

Summary The site of the small Roman town of Tripontium. The town was in existence between the 1st and 4th centuries AD and probably had its heyday in the 2nd century AD. Excavations have taken place at the site since the 1960s. Tripontium is situated 1km south west of Shawell.
What Is It?  
Type: Town
Period: Romano-British (43 AD - 409 AD)
Where Is It?  
Parish: Churchover
District: Rugby, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 53 79
(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 field to the N of Cave's Inn has yielded various traces of Roman occupation. Elias Ashmole in 1657 recorded much Roman brick and tile and that many Roman coins had been found here. M H Bloxam in the 19th century recorded various finds, most of them occurring in the course of gravel digging. These included brick and tile, glass, a rubbish pit rudely steyned with boulders, much pottery, a bronze brooch, rings and stylus and three coins of Nerva, Pius and Faustina the elder. Haverfield noted frequent fragments of pottery and brick in the gravel pit and the fields on both sides of the road. The Antonine Itinerary mentions a 'station' on Watling Street called Tripontium, and the distances given fit this site. The name is Latin and means 'Three Bridges' or the 'Bridge with Three Arches'.
2 Apart from slight early work by Rugby School systematic investigation was not made until 1962 when the Rugby Archaeological Society commenced work. The site abounds in gravel which has been excavated for centuries and is still being removed, hence a great deal of settlement was destroyed prior to 1962. The E and N extremities were identified, the W and S are not known. The full size of the settlement appears to be at least 800m in length and 152m each side of Watling Street. The period of occupation is late 1st century to late 4th century with a peak in the 2nd century and a recession towards the 4th century. A large defensive ditch of 4th century date exists within the settlement. Most of the buildings were of timber with clay footings. One stone building with wing rooms and a bath house was found.
3 The ditch of the defensive enclosure produced much pottery and appeared to be deliberately filled a short time after digging. The pottery is largely residual, but some sherds appear to be early 4th century.
4 A large amount of 2nd century to 4th century coins was recovered from the site of Tripontium.
6 Scheduling information.
7 Archaeological evaluation (EWA7311) adjacent to and within the Scheduled area of Tripontium Roman Station demonstrated that post-medieval gravel quarrying was extensive across the whole area of the evaluation. Small areas of natural sand and gravel had survived, however, no earlier Archaeological remains were present. A quantity of redeposited Roman finds, including pottery, tile and a fragment of quern stone were retrieved, perhaps derived from Roman deposits that had been destroyed by the quarrying.
8 Early scheduling record.
9 Letter from 1951.
10 Correspondence from 1953.
11 Planning application letter.
12 Newspaper cutting of discovery of RB defensive ditch and associated finds.
13 Article in journal.
14 Report in newspaper about the excavation of RB well and the associated finds.
15 Newspaper cuttings about RB milestone with inscription found in a RB well.
16 Drawings.
17 Soil contexts and pollen samples from 1963.
18 List of fifty finds.
19 Letter from 1967 about finds from the site including a circular perforated pebble.
20 Rugby Archaeological Society report from 1967.
21 Letter about conservation of well beams, 1970.
22 Rugby School report 1975-6.
23 Notes.
24 Duplicates of OS cards SP57NW15. Nos 1-5.
25 Letter from the DoE about proposed work.
26 First Interim report.
27 Second Interim report.
28 Third Interim report, focused on excavations in area 3, to the south-west of the settlement, which contained a series of aisled buildings and a bathhouse.
29 Fourth and 'final' excavation report, produced by Rugby Archaeological Society. It includes summary work to date carried out on the main settlement area, together with work carried out on the mansio, bathhouse and other buildings in Area 3 and excavations carried out at Holywell house in 2000. Includes extensive illustrations and specialist reports.
30 Two inhumations and a headless horse burial were recorded during excavations by Rugby Archaeological Society in 2000 to the south-west of Holywell house (see MWA19283). Hobnails associated with one of the inhumations suggest a Romano-British date.
 
Sources
Source No: 13
Source Type: Article in serial
Title: Shawell, Tripontium
Author/originator: Cement Lime and Gravel
Date: 1953
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 3
Source Type: Bibliographic reference
Title: TBAS vol 86
Author/originator: Webster G
Date: 1976
Page Number: 57
Volume/Sheet: 86
   
Source No: 1
Source Type: Bibliographic reference
Title: Victoria County History, vol 1, Warwickshire
Author/originator: Doubleday H A & Page W (eds)
Date: 1904
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 1
   
Source No: 9
Source Type: Correspondence
Title: Shawell
Author/originator: Clarke, David, Museum of Leicester
Date: 1951
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 10
Source Type: Correspondence
Title: Tripontium, Caves Inn
Author/originator: WM et al.
Date: 1953
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 11
Source Type: Correspondence
Title: Caves Inn Farm
Author/originator: WCC
Date: 1960
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 19
Source Type: Correspondence
Title: Tripontium
Author/originator: WM
Date: 1967
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 21
Source Type: Correspondence
Title: Tripontium
Author/originator: Foster, James R, Rugby Archaeological Society
Date: 1970
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 25
Source Type: Correspondence
Title: Tripontium
Author/originator: DoE
Date: 1985
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 16
Source Type: Drawing
Title: Caves Inn
Author/originator: G.W.
Date: 1954
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 17
Source Type: Excavation archive
Title: Shawell, Tripontium
Author/originator:
Date: 1963
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 4
Source Type: Museum Enquiry Form
Title: WMEF
Author/originator: Seaby W A
Date: 1990
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 22
Source Type: Excavation Report
Title: Excavation at Tripontium
Author/originator: Rugby School Natural History Society
Date: 1975-6
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 26
Source Type: Excavation Report
Title: TBAS vol 83
Author/originator: Oswald A
Date: 1966
Page Number: 1-64
Volume/Sheet: 83
   
Source No: 27
Source Type: Excavation Report
Title: TBAS vol 85
Author/originator: Cameron H and Lucas J
Date: 1971
Page Number: 93-144
Volume/Sheet: 85
   
Source No: 28
Source Type: Excavation Report
Title: TBAS vol 91
Author/originator: Lucas J
Date: 1981
Page Number: 25-54
Volume/Sheet: 91
   
Source No: 29
Source Type: Excavation Report
Title: Tripontium Corieltauvorum: Fourth and Final Report
Author/originator: J Lucas
Date: 2005
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 30
Source Type: Excavation Report
Title: Tripontium Corieltauvorum: Fourth and Final Report
Author/originator: J Lucas
Date: 2005
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 7
Source Type: Evaluation Report
Title: Evaluation at the Site of Tripontium Roman Station (SAM 097), Churchover, Rugby, Warwickshire
Author/originator: Morris S
Date: 2002
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 18
Source Type: Note
Title: Finds at Warwick Museum, Newton and Biggin (Churchover)
Author/originator:
Date:
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 23
Source Type: Note
Title: Notes for the Map of Roman Tripontium
Author/originator:
Date: post 1971
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 15
Source Type: Newspaper/Magazine Article
Title: Milestone from Tripontium
Author/originator: Rugby Advertiser and Coventry Evening Telegraph
Date: 1963
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 14
Source Type: Newspaper/Magazine Article
Title: Where Tripontium Drew its Water
Author/originator: Rugby Advertiser
Date: 1963
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 12
Source Type: Newspaper/Magazine Article
Title: Romano British finds at Shawell
Author/originator: Rugby Advertiser
Date: 1962
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 24
Source Type: Record Card/Form
Title: Ordnance Survey cards (OS cards)
Author/originator: OS
Date:
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 2
Source Type: Record Card/Form
Title: OS Card 05NE29
Author/originator: Ordnance Survey
Date: 1981
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 05NE29
   
Source No: 5
Source Type: Serial
Title: JBAA
Author/originator: Burgess J T
Date: 1873
Page Number: 39
Volume/Sheet: 29
   
Source No: 8
Source Type: Scheduling record
Title: Tripontium Roman Station
Author/originator: Ministry of Works/ DoE
Date: 1952
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 6
Source Type: Scheduling record
Title: Sam Index
Author/originator: DoE
Date: 1983
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 3
   
Source No: 20
Source Type: Unpublished document
Title: Tripontium
Author/originator: Rugby Archaeological Society
Date: 1967
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Images:  
Excavations at Tripontium Roman settlement, south west of Shawell
Copyright: Warwickshire County Council
Date: 1999
Click here for larger image  
 
Excavations at Tripontium Roman settlement, south west of Shawell
Copyright: Warwickshire County Council
Date: 1999
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 JBAA The Journal of the British Archaeological Association. The British Archaeological Association was set up in 1843 to promotes the study of archaeology, art and architecture. Their journal contains papers about research on art, archaeology, architecture and antiquities of Roman to Post Medieval date. It is published anually. 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 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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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 INN * A public house for the lodging and entertainment of travellers, etc. back
monument HOUSE * A building for human habitation, especially a dwelling place. Use more specific type where known. back
monument SITE * Unclassifiable site with minimal information. Specify site type wherever possible. back
monument SETTLEMENT * A small concentration of dwellings. back
monument CAVE * A subterranean feature entered from a hillside, cliff face, etc. A cave may have been used for occupation, storage, burial, refuse, or as a hide-away. Index with site type or objects where known. back
monument SCHOOL * An establishment in which people, usually children, are taught. 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 MANSIO * A type of Roman lodging house, frequently sited near the town gate. back
monument RUBBISH PIT * A pit where domestic waste material is deposited. back
monument INHUMATION * An interment of unburnt, articulated human remains. Use specific type where known. back
monument STONE * Use only where stone is natural or where there is no indication of function. back
monument ARCH * A structure over an opening usually formed of wedge-shaped blocks of brick or stone held together by mutual pressure and supported at the sides; they can also be formed from moulded concrete/ cast metal. A component; use for free-standing structure only. back
monument AISLED BUILDING * A building with an aisle along one or both sides. Usually a row of posts separates the main space from the aisle. back
monument BATH HOUSE * A building equipped with facilities for bathing, and occasionally public baths. 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 FIELD * An area of land, often enclosed, used for cultivation or the grazing of livestock. 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 BRIDGE * A structure of wood, stone, iron, brick or concrete, etc, with one or more intervals under it to span a river or other space. Use specific type where known. back
monument GRAVEL PIT * A steep-sided pit formed by, and for, the extraction of gravel. back
monument ENCLOSURE * An area of land enclosed by a boundary ditch, bank, wall, palisade or other similar barrier. Use specific type where known. 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 MILESTONE * A stone set up on a road or path to mark the miles from or to a place. back
monument BURIAL * An interment of human or animal remains. Use specific type where known. If component use with wider site type. Use FUNERARY SITE for optimum retrieval in searches. back
monument FARM * A tract of land, often including a farmhouse and ancillary buildings, used for the purpose of cultivation and the rearing of livestock, etc. Use more specific type where known. back
monument TOWN * An assemblage of public and private buildings, larger than a village and having more complete and independent local government. back

* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)

English Heritage National Monuments Record