Information for record number MWA687:
Site of Roman Villa 600m N of Ireland Farm, Gaydon.

Summary The possible site of a Roman villa. The site is suggested by a scatter of finds, which includes fragments of pottery, tile, animal bone and a brooch. The site is located 800m south east of the church at Gaydon.
What Is It?  
Type: Villa
Period: Romano-British (43 AD - 409 AD)
Where Is It?  
Parish: Gaydon
District: Stratford on Avon, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 36 53
(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 Site under permanent pasture until World War II. The farmer has for several years picked up potsherds and fragments of stone and also a penannular brooch. The field is exceptionally difficult to plough, the implement meeting resistance at numerous points; the ploughing depth has not exceeded 13cm. He reports also an extensive spread of burnt material. The area of plough resistance, over which the finds were made, covers about 3.5 ha. Finds include Midland grey wares, Oxfordshire, Nene Valley, Mancetter mortaria and some Samian. The pottery indicates occupation from mid to late 2nd century to 4th century. Roof tile, fragments of both imbrex and tegula and quantities of building stone indicate substantial structures. A piece of flue tile suggests the presence of heated rooms or baths. Other finds include an animal head terminal penannular brooch, two millstone grit rotary quern fragments, two lumps of bloomery slag and numerous animal bones. Dr Webster visited the Site on 5th May 1976 when the winter wheat had reached c15cm. Many slight irregularities of surface and colour gradations in the crop were visible and at cSP36635310 a N-S and E-W range of buildings were detected.
4 The Site is in good condition and the management agreement adhered to.
5 Described.
6 Pre-scheduling letters to the owner and to the DoE about the Site.
7 Letter from EH about a request to shallow plough part of the Site.
8 The available aerial photographs which cover this area have been examined as part of the South East Warwickshire and Cotswolds HLS Target Areas National Mapping Programme, and there was no visible sign of this Site.
9 Note that this Site has so far never been caught at a time when it was visible on aerial phototgraphs.
 
Sources
Source No: 4
Source Type: Correspondence
Title: Management Agreements for Warwickshire sites
Author/originator: Armstrong L, EH
Date: 1985
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 7
Source Type: Correspondence
Title: Roman Villa, Ireland Farm, Gaydon
Author/originator: EH
Date: 1990
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 6
Source Type: Correspondence
Title: Roman Villa at Ireland Farm, Gaydon
Author/originator: Various
Date: 1976
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 8
Source Type: Desk Top Study
Title: SE Warwickshire and Cotswolds NMP Project
Author/originator: Russell Priest
Date: 2010-2012
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 1
Source Type: Descriptive Text
Title: Roman Villa at Ireland Farm, Gaydon
Author/originator: Lamb R G
Date: 1976
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 3
Source Type: Record Card/Form
Title: OS Card 48SE2
Author/originator: Ordnance Survey
Date: 1979
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 48SE2
   
Source No: 5
Source Type: Scheduling record
Title: SAM County Index
Author/originator: DoE
Date: 1983
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 3
   
Source No: 2
Source Type: Scheduling record
Title: Roman Villa, Ireland Farm, Gaydon
Author/originator: DoE
Date: 1977
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 9
Source Type: Verbal communication
Title: Pers. Comm.
Author/originator: B Gethin
Date: 2013 onwards
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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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
technique Aerial Photograph Aerial photographs are taken during an aerial survey, which involves looking at the ground from above. It is usually easier to see cropmarks and earthworks when they are viewed from above. Aerial photographs help archaeologists to record what they see and to identify new sites. There are two kinds of aerial photographs; oblique and vertical. back
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 FLUE * A passageway, duct or pipe use for the conveyance of heat, gasses, smoke or air. back
monument CHURCH * A building used for public Christian worship. Use more specific type where known. back
monument PASTURE * A field covered with herbage for the grazing of livestock. back
monument VILLA * A term for a type of house, with varying definitions according to period. Roman villas were high-status and usually associated with a rural estate, whereas Georgian and later period villas were often semi-detached, town houses. back
monument FIELD * An area of land, often enclosed, used for cultivation or the grazing of livestock. back
monument BLOOMERY * A charcoal fired shaft furnace used for the direct reduction of iron ore to produce wrought iron. 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 STRUCTURE * A construction of unknown function, either extant or implied by archaeological evidence. If known, use more specific type. back
monument SIGN * A board, wall painting or other structure displaying advice, giving information or directions 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 TARGET * Any structure or object, used for the purpose of practice shooting by aerial, seaborne or land mounted weapons. back
monument MILLSTONE * One of a pair of large circular stones used for grinding corn in a mill. back

* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)

English Heritage National Monuments Record