Information for record number MWA514:
Roman buildings & ditch, Alcester.

Summary During an excavation timber buildings and a ditch of Roman date were found. A later Roman stone building and a hypocaust were also found at this site, south of Stratford Road, Alcester.
What Is It?  
Type: Building, Ditch, Hypocaust
Period: Romano-British (43 AD - 409 AD)
Where Is It?  
Parish: Alcester
District: Stratford on Avon, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 08 57
(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 1965. Beside Guillaume's Factory, S of the Stratford Road, some machine cut trenches showed traces of timber buildings in alignment with a N-S V-shaped ditch, the filling of which was dated to the early C2. The ditch was 1.2m deep. Further S and near to the E-W Roman Road previously sectioned by Hughes, two trenches were cut which showed at least two periods of massive stone building with a hypocaust, and a date range of C3-4.
4 Described in brief for evaluation.
 
Sources

Source No: 4
Source Type: Bibliographic reference
Title: Stratford Rd, Redevelopment Brief
Author/originator: WM
Date: 1989
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 2
Source Type: Bibliographic reference
Title: WM
Author/originator: PMB
Date:
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: Roman Alcester
   
Source No: 1
Source Type: Serial
Title: WMANS, no 8, 1965
Author/originator: Gould, J (ed)
Date: 1965
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 8
   
Source No: 3
Source Type: Scheduling record
Title: SAM Local Index
Author/originator: DoE
Date: 1983
Page Number: 3
Volume/Sheet:
   
Images:  
There are no images associated with this record.  
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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 WM Warwickshire Museum Aerial Photograph Collection. A collection of oblique and vertical aerial photographs and taken by various organisations and individuals, including the Royal Airforce, The Potato Board, Warwickshire Museum. The collection is 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 SITE * Unclassifiable site with minimal information. Specify site type wherever possible. 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 ROAD * A way between different places, used by horses, travellers on foot and vehicles. 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 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 FACTORY * A building or complex, housing powered machinery and employing a large workforce for manufacturing purposes. Use specific monument type where known. back

* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)

English Heritage National Monuments Record