Information for record number MWA7190:
Romano British features at Gas House Lane

Summary The remains of Roman settlement were found during archaeological work in Gas House Lane, Alcester. Evidence of timber buildings, including pits and post holes, was found. Finds from the site included Roman jewellery and coins.
What Is It?  
Type: Settlement, Pit, Building, Post Hole, Building?
Period: Romano-British (43 AD - 409 AD)
Where Is It?  
Parish: Alcester
District: Stratford on Avon, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 09 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: )
Sites & Monuments Record
Picture(s) attached

  
Description

  
Source Number  

1 Evaluation carried out during Jan-Mar 1988. 5 trenches excavated by hand to a depth of 1.5-2m with trenches 2 & 4 fully emptied of archaeological deposits. In trench 1 RB deposits were 1.02m thick consisting of a complicated sequence of pits and postholes showing the area to have been intensively used, most likely for domestic purposes. The pits may have been used for disposal or storage of food, one containing a virtually intact 4th century standing pot, while the postholes prove the existence of timber buildings. In trench 2 many finds were recovered including jewellery, woven textile and a dozen 4th century coins. trench 3 produced pits, traces of stone and gravel paving. The quantity of stone may indicate stone buildings nearby, whilst the pottery suggests a date of 2nd - 4th century. The theory that the NW of the site was occupied by town houses and other domestic settlement was reinforced by the excavation.
2 Archaeological work on the Gas House Lane site took place in three phases: evaluation (1988, see
1); excavation (1989); and observation (1990). After the 1988 work, development plans were modified to preserve the best deposits; the later phases of archaeological work therefore dealt with the less well preserved deposits. Occupation of the site appears to have commenced in the early 3rd century with the laying down of a layer of gravel make up (the south part of the site was previously marshy). A series of structures on at least two separate plots was recovered archaeologically, representing an expansion of settlement in this direction. The buildings straddled the early defensive line; the expanded 4th century defensive line was revealed at the southern edge of the site.
3 Original plant remains laboratory report from Engligh Heritage in FI file.
4 Original slag remains laboratory report from English Heritage in FI file.
 
Sources
Source No: 3
Source Type: Archaeological Report
Title: Plant remains from Roman and Elizabethan contexts at Gas House Lane, Alcester, Warwickshire
Author/originator: L C Moffett
Date: 1991
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 52/91
   
Source No: 4
Source Type: Archaeological Report
Title: The identification of the slags from Gas House Lane, Alcester, Warwickshire
Author/originator:
Date: 1990
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 134/90
   
Source No: 2
Source Type: Excavation Report
Title: Roman Alcester: Defences and Defended Area
Author/originator: Cracknell, S (ed)
Date: 1996
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 2
   
Source No: 1
Source Type: Evaluation Report
Title: Riverside Works redevelopment, Gas House Lane, Alcester
Author/originator: Warwickshire Museum
Date: 1988
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Images:  
A Roman brooch in the shape of a fish, found during an excavation in Gas House Lane, Alcester
Copyright: Warwickshire County Council
Click here for larger image  
 
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Glossary

 
Word or Phrase
Description  
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 PIT * A hole or cavity in the ground, either natural or the result of excavation. Use more specific type where known. back
monument WELL * A shaft or pit dug in the ground over a supply of spring-water. back
monument DEFENCE * This is the top term for the class. See DEFENCE Class List for narrow terms. back
monument TRENCH * An excavation used as a means of concealment, protection or both. back
monument STRUCTURE * A construction of unknown function, either extant or implied by archaeological evidence. If known, use more specific type. back
monument GAS HOUSE * An ancilliary building, usually to provide gas for lighting a particular building (eg. railway stations, factories, etc) as opposed to public GAS WORKS. back
monument MARSH * A low lying area of land that is usually waterlogged at all times and is flooded in wet weather. back
monument TOWN HOUSE * A gentry house in a town or city, either detached or in a terrace. back
monument LABORATORY * A group of buildings or rooms equipped with apparatus for scientific experiments or other research, testing and investigations. 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
monument DOMESTIC * This is the top term for the class. See DOMESTIC Class List for narrow terms. back
monument WORKS * Usually a complex of buildings for the processing of raw materials. Use specific type where known. back

* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)

English Heritage National Monuments Record