Information for record number MWA782:
Site of Roman Villa N of Ewefield Farm

Summary The site of a villa dating to the Roman period. Excavations have taken place at the site and have produced finds such as imbrexes, querns, a coin and mosaics. It is located 600m west of the church, Chesterton.
What Is It?  
Type: Villa
Period: Romano-British (43 AD - 409 AD)
Where Is It?  
Parish: Chesterton and Kingston
District: Stratford on Avon, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 35 58
(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
Picture(s) attached

  
Description

  
Source Number  

1 In 1922 a quantity of potsherds were reported during the laying of a water-pipe on the N side of Ewe Fields Farm. Several short trenches were dug, gradually working back up the hill, and at a depth of about 0.7m a large number of tesserae 1 cm square were found. The excavation was extended in all directions for several yards, but no pavement was found in position. Often three or four cubes were found together, and one fragment with fourteen, which showed two curved lines coming together, was found. There were three kinds of tesserae - white and grey local limestone and red tile. No foundations of walls, but on either side at a distance of about 3.9m the small tesserae gave place to larger ones. A large number of pieces of coarse pottery were also found.
2 Fragments of a coarse hand-made pot from Chesterton.
3 Photo of cooking pot.
4 The site is under permanent grass and there are no surface indications. There have been no recent finds.
5 In the course of site excavations of a new house fronting Church Lane and adjacent to Ewe Fields Farm, a quantity of Romano British material was found in 1980. The tile fragments include tegulae and imbrices and a piece of combed flue tile; also two large tesserae cut from tiles. The pottery included red colour coated Oxfordshire bowls but mainly consisted of light grey kitchen wares. Three coins were reported to the County Museum (Claudius II, Tetricus I, Constantius II). It is evident that this material derives from the nearby villa.
6 Note.
7 Iron Age coin -'Dobunni' billon unit - found in July 1994 during an excavation by WART. The coin was found under a Roman wall.
8excavations in advance of the excavation of a slurry pit on the site of a known Roman villa exposed a north-south range c12m wide. Along its eastern side was a corridor 2.8m wide floored with a three-colour mosaic, provisionally dated to 4th century. A central lozenge containing a foliage pattern was surrounded by triangular panels with foliage and fruit; to the south was a rectangular panel with five pelta/leaf shapes, and south again was a fragment of another panel, mostly destroyed. The mosaic was cut by two later hearths, and the eastern wall of the corridor had been expanded over it. The room to the west was 6.3m across, no floor levels survived. The mosaic has been protected and reburied.
9 excavation photograph 1995.
10 A programme of geophysical survey has been carried out in the parish of Chesterton and Kingston, about 4 miles from Leamington Spa. In 1991 survey was carried out within the known Roman town enclosure and in 1992-3 a further survey in surrounding Fields revealed Roman activity over a larger area than previously known.
11 In 1990 two small trenches revealed rubble spreads and Roman pottery.
12 Location plan for ref
11.
13 The full information for the above excavation is not available so the precise nature of features and finds is unknown.
14 The gradual disclosure of a Roman villa of corridor type, terraced, with associated partly destroyed mosaic pavements. These pavements were cut by later hearths, pits and a kiln. Finds included an early Roman coin, painted wall plaster, pottery, broken querns, roof and hypocaust tiles, various functional, recreational and decorative objects made of bone, jet, copper, iron and glass.
15 excavation within the Ewefields Farm Dutch barn in 2000 uncovered the remains of a probable extension of the villa buildings, and a sequence of rebuilding to a hypocaust above a stone drain, floored with teracotta tiles, and full of silt.
16 Scheduled as an Ancient Monument 7th June 2001. The monument includes the buried and earthwork remains of the Roman villa and medieval settlement.
17 Scheduled area and Schedule updated 27th November, 2003.
18 Description of mosaics at the Roman villa.
19 Information about the mosaics from 'Roman mosaics of Britain' vol 1.
20 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 villa site.
 
Sources
Source No: 14
Source Type: Archaeological Report
Title: 'Roman House', Ewefields Farm Chesterton
Author/originator: David Adams
Date: 2001
Page Number: 12-35
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 15
Source Type: Archaeological Report
Title: 'Excavation within a modern barn, Ewefields Farm,' Chesterton
Author/originator: David Adams
Date: 2000
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 9
Source Type: Article in serial
Title: Britannia: Roman Britain in 1994
Author/originator: B C Burnham, L J F Keppie, A S Esmonde Cleary, M W C Hassall and R S O Tomlin
Date: 1995
Page Number: 325-390
Volume/Sheet: 26
   
Source No: 8
Source Type: Article in serial
Title: Britannia: Roman Britain in 1994
Author/originator: B C Burnham, L J F Keppie, A S Esmonde Cleary, M W C Hassall and R S O Tomlin
Date: 1995
Page Number: 325-390
Volume/Sheet: 26
   
Source No: 7
Source Type: Bibliographic reference
Title: WMA
Author/originator: Wise P J
Date: 1994
Page Number: 91-2
Volume/Sheet: 37
   
Source No: 19
Source Type: Bibliographic reference
Title: Mosiacs from the County of Warwickshire
Author/originator:
Date: 2003
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 20
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: 5
Source Type: Descriptive Text
Title: Pottery and Objects from Ewe Field Farm, Chesterton
Author/originator: Webster G
Date: post 1980
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 11
Source Type: Excavation Report
Title: Ewefields Farm
Author/originator: Jenkins D and Adams D
Date: 1990
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 3
Source Type: Photograph
Title: TBAS vol 50
Author/originator:
Date: 1924
Page Number: Plate 26
Volume/Sheet: 50
   
Source No: 12
Source Type: Plan
Title: Ewefields Farm, Chesterton
Author/originator: WM
Date: 1994
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 4
Source Type: Record Card/Form
Title: OS Card 25NE6
Author/originator: Ordnance Survey
Date: 1968
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 1
Source Type: Serial
Title: TBAS vol 49
Author/originator: Major Godsal
Date: 1923
Page Number: 62-3
Volume/Sheet: 49
   
Source No: 10
Source Type: Serial
Title: WMA vol 36 (1993)
Author/originator: White, R (ed)
Date: 1994
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 36
   
Source No: 16
Source Type: Scheduling record
Title: Roman villa and medieval settlement remains immediately N of Ewefields Farm
Author/originator: English Heritage
Date: 2001
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 17
Source Type: Scheduling record
Title: Roman Villa and Medieval Settlement Remains Immediately North of Ewefields Farm
Author/originator: English Heritage
Date: 2003
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 13
Source Type: Unpublished document
Title: Unpublished document
Author/originator: Jones E
Date: 1996
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 6
Source Type: Unpublished document
Title: TBAS vol 90
Author/originator: Webster G
Date: 1980
Page Number: 83
Volume/Sheet: 90
   
Source No: 2
Source Type: Unpublished document
Title: TBAS vol 50
Author/originator:
Date: 1924
Page Number: 78
Volume/Sheet: 50
   
Source No: 18
Source Type: Unpublished document
Title: Mosaics at Chesterton
Author/originator: WART
Date:
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No:
Source Type: Verbal communication
Title: Meeting with Dave Adams
Author/originator: Adams D
Date: 2001
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Images:  
Excavation of a Roman mosaic at a villa site in Chesterton parish
Copyright: Warwickshire County Council
Click here for larger image  
 
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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 Britannia Britannia, the journal of the Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies which contains articles about the archaeology of Roman Britain. It is published annually and copies are held at the Warwickshire Sites and Monuments Record. back
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
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
technique Geophysical Survey The measuring and recording of electrical resistivity or magnetism in order to determine the existence and outline of buried features such as walls and ditches. Geophysical techniques include resistivity survey, magnetometer survey and ground penetrating radar. View Image back
technique Earthwork Earthworks can take the form of banks, ditches and mounds. They are usually created for a specific purpose. A bank, for example, might be the remains of a boundary between two or more fields. Some earthworks may be all that remains of a collapsed building, for example, the grassed-over remains of building foundations.

In the winter, when the sun is lower in the sky than during the other seasons, earthworks have larger shadows. From the air, archaeologists are able to see the patterns of the earthworks more easily. Earthworks can sometimes be confusing when viewed at ground level, but from above, the general plan is much clearer.

Archaeologists often carry out an aerial survey or an earthwork survey to help them understand the lumps and bumps they can see on the ground.
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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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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 Modern The Modern Period, about 1915 AD to the present (the 20th and 21st centuries AD)

In recent years archaeologists have realised the importance of recording modern sites. They do this so that in the future people will be able to look at the remains to help them understand the events to which they are related.
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period Iron Age About 800 BC to 43 AD

The Iron Age comes after the Bronze Age and before the Roman period. It is a time when people developed the skills and knowledge to work and use iron, hence the name ‘Iron Age’ which is given to this period. Iron is a much tougher and more durable metal than bronze but it also requires more skill to make objects from it. People continued to use bronze during this period.
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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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period Medieval 1066 AD to 1539 AD (the 11th century AD to the 16th century AD)

The medieval period comes after the Saxon period and before the post medieval period.

The Medieval period begins in 1066 AD.
This was the year that the Normans, led by William the Conqueror (1066 – 1087), invaded England and defeated Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings in East Sussex.
The Medieval period includes the first half of the Tudor period (1485 – 1603 AD), when the Tudor family reigned in England and eventually in Scotland too.

The end of the Medieval period is marked by Henry VIII’s (1509 – 1547) order for the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the years running up to 1539 AD. The whole of this period is sometimes called the Middle Ages.
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period modern About 1915 AD to the present (the 20th and 21st centuries AD)

In recent years archaeologists have realised the importance of recording modern sites. They do this so that in the future people will be able to look at the remains to help them understand the events to which they are related.
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monument YARD * A paved area, generally found at the back of a house. back
monument MOSAIC * A picture or pattern produced by cementing together small pieces of stone or glass of various colours. May be in the form of a floor. back
monument RECREATIONAL * This is the top term for the class. See RECREATIONAL Class List for narrow terms. 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 PAVEMENT * A path or road for pedestrians, laid or beaten in with stones or other materials. back
monument SETTLEMENT * A small concentration of dwellings. back
monument KILN * A furnace or oven for burning, baking or drying. Use specific type where known. 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 FEATURE * Areas of indeterminate function. back
monument KITCHEN * A building or room where food is prepared and cooked. back
monument FLUE * A passageway, duct or pipe use for the conveyance of heat, gasses, smoke or air. back
monument DRAIN * An artificial channel for draining water or carrying it off. back
monument CHURCH * A building used for public Christian worship. Use more specific type where known. 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 PIT * A hole or cavity in the ground, either natural or the result of excavation. Use more specific type where known. back
monument HEARTH * The slab or place on which a fire is made. 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 MUSEUM * A building, group of buildings or space within a building, where objects of value such as works of art, antiquities, scientific specimens, or other artefacts are housed and displayed. back
monument ENCLOSURE * An area of land enclosed by a boundary ditch, bank, wall, palisade or other similar barrier. Use specific type where known. back
monument TRENCH * An excavation used as a means of concealment, protection or both. back
monument SQUARE * An open space or area, usually square in plan, in a town or city, enclosed by residential and/or commercial buildings, frequently containing a garden or laid out with trees. back
monument BARN * A building for the storage and processing of grain crops and for housing straw, farm equipment and occasionally livestock and their fodder. Use more specific type where known. 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 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 EARTHWORK * A bank or mound of earth used as a rampart or fortification. back
monument SPA * A medicinal or mineral spring often with an associated building. back

* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)

English Heritage National Monuments Record