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Somerset Historic Environment Record

53887

Site Name:

Roman villa, Northfield Lane, Dinnington

Civil Parish:

Dinnington

Comprises:

PRN 15453

Evaluation (2002), Dinnington Villa

PRN 18679

Geophysical Survey (2005), Northfield Lane, Dinnington.

PRN 31635

Evaluation (2002), Dinnington Roman villa

Grid Ref:

ST 404 135 (ST 41 SW)

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Image:

HER 53887 - Geophysics plot. Photo by Somerset County Council (2002)

Public access:

The public accessibility of this site is unknown or has not been checked. Please ask locally and do not visit without permission. [Information last updated on 21 May 2003]

Details:

A Romano British site has been watched for a number of years because of surface finds of tesserae, roofing slates and pottery. Cropmarks were noticed in 1976 and three small holes dug on the site. A number of coins have been found and also a small bronze dog. {1}

The owner has a number of coins found with a metal detector. Three small holes were dug in 1976 which located a stone wall 0.5m wide and two areas of flooring. In spring 1977 the plough struck a stone and following investigation two ham stone slabs were found bedded on roofing material. They had been reddened by heat and a slab of melted lead lay on the top. This appeared not to be the remains of a burnt building - perhaps a metal workers hearth? {2}

The site is close to the villa at Seavington St Mary (PRN 53394) and so may be connected. {4}

Excavation in 2002 uncovered evidence of extremely large courtyard villa with several mosaics. See PRN 15453. {5}

Geophysical survey and excavation in 2002 revealed the main villa buildings to measure c. 120m x 70m in extent (PRNs 18313 and 15453). The villa is a double winged plan, containing three ranges of building, that was occupied mostly during the C3/C4 AD. At least two phases of building were noted with activity commencing in the late C1/early C2. The west wing was probably of C3/C4 date and consisted of a series of rooms linked by a corridor. The west wing contained at least three mosaics, with a possible fourth located overa hypocaust system. Evidence of painted plaster walls and painted ceiling tiles were also found. Evidence of substantial robbing of the structure was also seen. {6}

Further survey in 2005 revealed more of the context of the villa buildings as well as a clearer plan of the west wing. {7}

Four mosaics were recorded, some of which showed close parallels to those from Seavington St Mary (PRN 53394). {8}

References:

1	Mention - Gilson, R. Dinnington, Hinton St George. In Aston, M. Somerset Archaeology 1976. Somerset Archaeology and Natural History 121 (1977), 107-128 at 113.
2	Description - Gilson, RG. Dinnington Roman Site. (c.1977) Unpublished typescript with map and finds drawings. Location: HER files.
3	Detailed records - Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division record card. Record ID: ST 41 SW 20 (1979) Location: HER files.
4	Verbal communication - Dennison, E [Ed]. Somerset County Council, Sites and Monuments Record (31/10/1984). Location: Verbal, electronic or direct entry, no source retained
5	Verbal communication - Webster, C [Chris]. Somerset County Council, Historic Environment Record (14/01/2003). Location: Verbal, electronic or direct entry, no source retained
6	Detailed records - Gallagher, B. Dinnington, Somerset: An Interim report on the archaeological evaluation by Time Team. (2005) interim report. Location: HER file 15453. HER digital source: 14700.
7	Detailed records - Adcock, J and Wood, E. Geophysical Survey Report: Dinnington, Somerset. Unpublished GSB Prospection report No: 2005/33 (2005) Location: HER file 18679.
8	Detailed records - Cosh, SR and Neale DS. Roman Mosaics of Britain. Volume II: South-West Britain. Vol. II (2005), 204-207.

Record created in October 1984