Information for record number MWA5327:
Roman well

Summary A well of Roman date was found during an archaeological excavation, suggesting that this may be the site of a Roman settlement. Various finds were recovered from the well, including a bronze figure of a horseman. The well was located 1km north of Newton.
What Is It?  
Type: Settlement, Well, Ditch
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: )
Sites & Monuments Record
Description

  
Source Number  

1 'Trench where masses of cow horn discoveries have been made.'
2 During quarrying in 1952 a circular well was exposed which was 1.8m in diameter and 7.6m deep. It was roughly steened with irregular boulders, which rested at the bottom on four decayed timbers set in a square. The well was filled with clay and soil but at the bottom was a deposit consisting of a bronze figure, a thin bronze disc, a coin and a mass of bone and potsherds. The coin was a sestertius of Faustina I (AD 141+). This and a piece of Samian suggest an Antonine date for the deposit. The bones included part of the skull of an adult female. The figure is a squat heavily-muscled male wearing a tunic, belt and cloak. He was clearly a horseman, although he has lost his horse. In addition, later in the year a Trench 6m to 9m long was excavated containing thousands of animal horns.
3 The rider has now been lost. It represents a Celtic deity and was probably a votive offering.
 
Sources
Source No: 3
Source Type: Bibliographic reference
Title: TBAS vol 91
Author/originator: Webster G
Date: 1981
Page Number: 46-7
Volume/Sheet: 91
   
Source No: 1
Source Type: Map
Title: Map 1952
Author/originator:
Date: 1952
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 2
Source Type: Unpublished document
Title: A Romano-British Bronze Figure From a Well at Caves Inn, near Rugby
Author/originator: Baker F G
Date: 1953
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Images:  
There are no images associated with this record.  
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Glossary

 
Word or Phrase
Description  
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 INN * A public house for the lodging and entertainment of travellers, etc. back
monument SITE * Unclassifiable site with minimal information. Specify site type wherever possible. back
monument SETTLEMENT * A small concentration of dwellings. back
monument CAVE * A subterranean feature entered from a hillside, cliff face, etc. A cave may have been used for occupation, storage, burial, refuse, or as a hide-away. Index with site type or objects where known. back
monument WELL * A shaft or pit dug in the ground over a supply of spring-water. 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 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

* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)

English Heritage National Monuments Record