Information for record number MWA4519:
Site of Poss Roman Cemetery to S of Chesterton Camp

Summary A small Roman cemetery disturbed by ploughing in 1966. It was probably sited outside the ditch of the Roman Camp. A further burial was disturbed in 1992. The site lies 600m west of Windmill Hill.
What Is It?  
Type: Cemetery, Burial, Inhumation
Period: Romano-British (43 AD - 409 AD)
Where Is It?  
Parish: Chesterton and Kingston
District: Stratford on Avon, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 34 59
(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
Description

  
Source Number  

1 In July 1966 earth-moving equipment was noted at Chesterton Camp and it was discovered that the farmer had received permission from MPBW to plough the site. This work started almost immediately and the plough went through a small cemetery, disturbing a number of burials. The police were immediately called in and the work temporarily halted.
2 Outside the ditch on the S of the town. Position of nine burials marked.
3 The first group of burials were given letters A, B and E and were turned over by the plough (therefore under 0.3m deep). All three were adults and orientations were impossible to determine. Bones were only collected from A. Also traces of disarticulated animal burials. A coin was found someway to the S. A second group of burials was found on crest of rampart at 0.3m depth and lying E-W. 5-7 burials were uncovered, all badly damaged by earth-moving equipment.
4 The plan (ref 2) suggests that the burials were outside the ditch rather than in the rampart.
5 Traces of ten burials in total, one was a baby buried under the legs of an adult. A second burial was probably a baby, although the bones were badly shattered. Five were buried facing SE and one at a right angle. A visitor was told that a lorry driver had 'some blue marbles which had been found in groups' - possibly Saxon beads.
6 In 1961 some human bones were found in the bank of the stream and on the W of the camp.
7 In 1992 a further burial was disturbed by the plough at SP3459.
 
Sources
Source No: 1
Source Type: Correspondence
Title: Chesterton Camp
Author/originator: Webster G
Date: 1966
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 5
Source Type: Correspondence
Title: RB cemetery, Chesterton
Author/originator: JMM et al.
Date: 1966/7
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 6
Source Type: Correspondence
Title: RB cemetery, Chesterton
Author/originator: Stern E
Date: 1961
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 3
Source Type: Excavation Report
Title: Chesterton
Author/originator:
Date: 1966
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 2
Source Type: Plan
Title: Position of ? Saxon Inhumations at Chesterton
Author/originator: Docherty - Delia J
Date: 1966
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 7
Source Type: Unpublished document
Title: Roman cemetery, Chesterton
Author/originator: Adams, D & Burman, J
Date: 1992
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 4
Source Type: Verbal communication
Title: R.C.Hingley personal comment
Author/originator: Hingley R C
Date: 1989
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Images:  
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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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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 ANIMAL BURIAL * Deliberate interment of a complete, or substantially complete, animal. Use the object type thesaurus term ANIMAL REMAINS where skeleton is fragmentary. back
monument SITE * Unclassifiable site with minimal information. Specify site type wherever possible. back
monument WINDMILL * A tower-like structure of wood or brick with a wooden cap and sails which are driven around by the wind producing power to work the internal machinery. Use with product type where known. back
monument INHUMATION * An interment of unburnt, articulated human remains. Use specific type where known. back
monument RAMPART * A protective earthen mound, often the main defence of a fortification. back
monument CEMETERY * An area of ground, set apart for the burial of the dead. 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 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 STREAM * A natural flow or current of water issuing from a source. 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