Information for record number MWA5131:
Site of Roman Bath House on Grimstock Hill

Summary The site of a Roman bath house situated 500m north east of Gilson Hall.
What Is It?  
Type: Baths, Bath House, Hypocaust
Period: Romano-British (43 AD - 409 AD)
Where Is It?  
Parish: Coleshill
District: North Warwickshire, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 19 90
(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
Description

  
Source Number  

1 A bathhouse discovered during building work in 1978. The site was badly damaged by earth removal. It consisted of three elements - the hypocaust building, the semicircular room and post holes. The hypocaust building had at least two phases. The walls were stone built and two rooms are represented. Both rooms contained pilae. The praefurnium was probably at the end of the building under the contractor's dump. The destruction layer contained much broken tile and some stone. One pot sherd was recovered from this layer. The semicircular room must have been attached, but its relationship had been destroyed. It had a stone floor and appears to have been intended to hold water. Two post holes were also found. There may have been further buildings to the N. Finds included one flint blade (PRN 5129).
2 In 1980 a third N room was excavated. All that survived were the sandstone foundations of the wall. The E part of the bathhouse was not excavated and lies beneath the earthen sound barrier which separates industrial from housing development. It must be one of the least impressive in Roman Britain. It may have had a religious function as part of the temple complex.
3 Plan.
4 Full report on excavations carried out between 1978 and 1980. The bath house (site M) may have been built at the time of the first stone temple. This bath house is of a 'private' type. It has only one heated room when the two southern rooms have been knocked together; this southern room is perhaps best regarded as a combined tepidarium.caldarium. A connection with the temple is suggested; its location on the edge of the temenos area suggests that purificatory bathing may have been introduced as part of the ritual.excavation at Grimstock Hill, certainly failed to evidence a settlement that the bath house could serve.
5 Brief set of articles on early work on the site, carried out by Chelmsley History Society/ Atherstone Archaeological Group.
 
Sources
Source No: 3
Source Type: Plan
Title: WMA vol 23
Author/originator: Magilton J R
Date: 1980
Page Number: Fig 11
Volume/Sheet: 23
   
Source No: 1
Source Type: Serial
Title: WMANS no 21 1978
Author/originator: Booth P M
Date: 1978
Page Number: 55-60
Volume/Sheet: 21
   
Source No: 2
Source Type: Serial
Title: WMA vol 23
Author/originator: Magilton J R
Date: 1980
Page Number: 31-2, 38
Volume/Sheet: 23
   
Source No: 4
Source Type: Serial
Title: TBAS vol 110
Author/originator: J Magilton
Date: 2006
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 5
Source Type: Serial
Title: Chelmsley History No 6
Author/originator: Dutton, J (ed.)
Date: 1978
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Images:  
There are no images associated with this record.  
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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 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
source WMANS West Midlands Archaeological News Sheet, a publication that was produced each year, this later became West Midlands Archaeology. The West Midlands Arcaheological News Sheet contains reports about archaeological work that was carried out in the West Midlands region in the previous year. It includes information about sites dating from the Prehistoric to the Post Medieval periods. It was produced the Department of Extramural Studies at Birmingham University. 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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monument LAYER * An archaeological unit of soil in a horizontal plane which may seal features or be cut through by other features. back
monument SITE * Unclassifiable site with minimal information. Specify site type wherever possible. back
monument SETTLEMENT * A small concentration of dwellings. 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 STONE * Use only where stone is natural or where there is no indication of function. back
monument FLOOR * A layer of stone, brick or boards, etc, on which people tread. Use broader site type where known. back
monument BATH HOUSE * A building equipped with facilities for bathing, and occasionally public baths. back
monument INDUSTRIAL * This is the top term for the class. See INDUSTRIAL Class List for narrow terms. back
monument HYPOCAUST * A Roman under-floor heating system in which hot air heated by a stoked furnace, flowed through channels, created by either raising the floor on pillars of brick and tile or cutting channels into the concrete floor and tiling over them. back
monument BARRIER * An obstruction, usually manmade, which is used to restrict or prevent access to a settlement, building or area of land. Use more specific type where known. back
monument BATHS * A building, usually open to the public, containing a number of areas for bathing. In the case of such a complex containing baths for swimming, also index with INDOOR or OUTDOOR SWIMMING POOL. back
monument WALL * An enclosing structure composed of bricks, stones or similar materials, laid in courses. Use specific type where known. back
monument TEMPLE * Use for places of worship. For later landscape features use, eg. GARDEN TEMPLE. 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