Information for record number MWA5331:
Site of Roman Building 100m W of Railway Bridge, Shawell

Summary The site of a Roman building that was found during an archaeological excavation. It was built from stone and timber. The walls of the building were plastered and painted. It was situated within the Roman town of Tripontium, 900m south west of Shawell.
What Is It?  
Type: Building, Mansio?, Bath House
Period: Romano-British (43 AD - 409 AD)
Where Is It?  
Parish: Newton and Biggin
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
Description

  
Source Number  

1 The most substantial building yet found at Tripontium was discovered in 1962 and dug intermittently between then and 1982. The site, which was by a stream, had been levelled before building operations started. building was a stone and timber structure of rectangular plan, with a mortar floor. The walls were plastered and painted. A coin of Domitian and Antonine Samian could indicate construction at the end of the 1st century. building 2 dated originally from the early 2nd century. A later phase had stone walls, opus-signinum floors and painted plaster on the walls. This dated from the second half of the 2nd century. building 3 was an addition and enlargement to building 2 and converted it into a 'courtyard-type house'. The walls were of stone with fine wall plaster. Many 4th century coins were found around the building and the destruction layers. One room had a black occupation layer which contained a coin of Valentinian and some late pits contained 4th century pottery. Two coins of the period AD 395-408 could indicate use into the 5th century. Finds included tiles, some with graffiti. Tegulae and flue tiles were found. Metal finds included tweezers, bracelets and a spoon. The excavation report suggests that the building was a mansio and that its courtyard plan is similar to examples at Chelmsford, Silchester and Godmanchester.
3 The building is much smaller and less regular than the other mansiones quoted from British small towns and the identification of this building is uncertain.
4 An independent study aiming to put discussion of the Tripontium mansio, and the other buildings excavated by Rugby Archaeological Society, in Area 3, in a wider context. The study itself is largely inconclusive, although it does highlight the significance of the buildings at Tripontium and the importance of situating the possible mansio at Tripontium in a wider discussion of the other settlement features found at the site. Includes a series of phase plans for the site more generally.
5 Details of excavations to the south-west of the main settlement activity at Tripontium, described as Area 3, where excavations have been ongoing since 1973. This includes detailed phasing of both the mansio, bathhouse and the courtyard building on the site, together with specialist reports. Use of the building complex spans the mid-first to fifth centuries. Plate 3 illustrates the layout of the sequence of five buildings, including the mansio (building 1) and bathhouse (building 5).
6 This monument extent has been altered to reflect the series of buildings excavated here by Rugby Archaeological Society, described as Area 3.
 
Sources
Source No: 1
Source Type: Excavation Report
Title: TBAS vol 91
Author/originator: Lucas J
Date: 1981
Page Number: 25-54
Volume/Sheet: 91
   
Source No: 5
Source Type: Excavation Report
Title: Tripontium Corieltauvorum: Fourth and Final Report
Author/originator: J Lucas
Date: 2005
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 2
Source Type: Plan
Title: TBAS vol 91
Author/originator: Lucas J
Date: 1981
Page Number: Fig 2
Volume/Sheet: 91
   
Source No: 4
Source Type: Unpublished document
Title: A British Mansio? An examination of the roadside settlement of Tripontium
Author/originator: Maclean S J
Date: 2004
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 3
Source Type: Verbal communication
Title: R.C. Hingley personal comments
Author/originator: R C Hingley
Date:
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 6
Source Type: Verbal communication
Title: Pers. Comm. Giles Carey
Author/originator: G Carey
Date: 2009-2014
Page Number:
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 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
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 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 COURTYARD PLAN * A farmstead where the working buildings are arranged around a yard. 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 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 FEATURE * Areas of indeterminate function. back
monument FLUE * A passageway, duct or pipe use for the conveyance of heat, gasses, smoke or air. back
monument GRAFFITI * Casual scribbles or pictographs on ancient walls, stones or other surfaces. In more recent times applied to humourous, satiric or obscene writings or drawings executed anonymously in public places. back
monument BATH HOUSE * A building equipped with facilities for bathing, and occasionally public baths. 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 COURTYARD * An uncovered area, surrounded or partially surrounded by buildings. back
monument STRUCTURE * A construction of unknown function, either extant or implied by archaeological evidence. If known, use more specific type. back
monument STREAM * A natural flow or current of water issuing from a source. back
monument WALL * An enclosing structure composed of bricks, stones or similar materials, laid in courses. Use 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
monument OCCUPATION LAYER * A layer of remains left by a single culture, from which the culture can be dated or identified. back

* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)

English Heritage National Monuments Record