Monument record LMD 017 - Roman villa at Liston Lane
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Summary
Location
Grid reference | Centred TL 8606 4515 (179m by 158m) |
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Map sheet | TL84NE |
Civil Parish | LONG MELFORD, BABERGH, SUFFOLK |
Map
Type and Period (5)
Full Description
Roman Villa at Liston Lane.
A tessellated pavement was cut through by a sewerage trench in a field to the S of Liston Lane in 1958. Salvage recording was carried out by N Smedley for IPSMG (S1).
The pavement consisted of a central area of white limestone tesserae 7.5 feet wide, flanked on either side by 2 feet of tesserae of black bituminous limestone. A red tile, 1.5 feet in length was inserted centrally. At either end, and overlapping the black area for 10 inches, was a quarter-round moulding of red tile, and at one end a line of upright tesserae indicating a wall lined with tesserae - this may indicate that the structure was a bath rather than a room. Individual tesserae were half an inch square and 1 inch deep, set in a 3 to 4 inch thick layer of pink cement, resting on a 6 inch layer of white cement, itself resting on a 2 feet thick layer of flint, which increased to 3 feet for wall footings. In the rubble overlying the pavement was a tegula and a few red tile tesserae. Also found was an angled fragment of painted wall plaster and C1 - C2 pottery, including samian. Divided from the pavement by a more recent field ditch was a pink cement floor which ran for 10 feet northwards and continued under the modern road. A white cement floor was also found 12 feet to the S of the tessellated pavement.
The building remains lay on a raised platform visible on aerial photographs. A ditch forming the S boundary of this platform contained Belgic and C1 Roman pottery (S1).
1981: Site under pasture (S2).
1991: Site shows uneven surface under grass. Nothing remains above ground. Laid down to grass (S4).
For ring ditch within scheduled area see (S5).
Sources/Archives (6)
- <S1> SSF21308 (No record type): Smedley N, Roman Long Melford, PSIA, 28 (3), 1960, 272-289, photos.
- <M1> SSF43003 (No record type): SAM file:.
- <S2> SSF5224 Unpublished document: DOE scheduling information.
- <S3> SSF1197 (No record type): Beresford M W & St Joseph J K, Med England : An Aerial Survey, fig 104.
- <S4> SSF21759 (No record type): Suff Pres Soc (Paul Edwards) survey, table of results, 1991.
- <S5> SSF50106 Photograph: Air Photographs. NAU, TL 8645/JCC 1, 10 July 1996.
Finds (8)
- FSF16860: POTTERY BELGIC (Roman - 43 AD? to 409 AD?)
- FSF16861: POTTERY (Roman - 43 AD? to 409 AD?)
- FSF16862: POTTERY SAMIAN (Roman - 43 AD? to 409 AD?)
- FSF16863: TESSERA (Roman - 43 AD? to 409 AD?)
- FSF16864: TESSERA (Roman - 43 AD? to 409 AD?)
- FSF16865: ROOF TILE (Roman - 43 AD? to 409 AD?)
- FSF16866: WALL PAINTING (Roman - 43 AD? to 409 AD?)
- FSF33223: WALL COVERING (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
Protected Status/Designation
Related Monuments/Buildings (1)
Related Events/Activities (4)
- Event - Intervention: Excavated by IPSMG (Smedley N) (ESF15479)
- Event - Survey: GPR survey: at four locations, Chapel Green / Cutlers Field / Primary School playing field / Melford Green Top, Long Melford (ESF23740)
- Event - Survey: Site Visit by DOE (Corbishley M) (ESF13541)
- Event - Survey: Site Visit by DOE (Paterson H) (ESF12871)
Record last edited
Nov 7 2023 10:48AM