Cambridgeshire Roman Town Given Protection
A newly discovered Roman small town south of Great Staughton, Cambridgeshire, has been given heritage protection as a scheduled monument by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the advice of Historic England.
A remarkable discovery
The town was first fully identified through aerial photography and crop marks.
Evaluation work carried out by AOC Archaeology Group has confirmed that the buried archaeological features are well preserved and extend across around 31 hectares.
Archaeological features discovered include ditches, pits and postholes, and gravel surfaces that represent roads or yard areas. Amongst artefacts recovered are pottery (including Samian Ware), animal bone, glass, copper alloy objects, iron objects, coins and shell.
A highly organised Roman settlement
The remains show the extensive streets and buildings of a highly organised Roman settlement of urban character. There are possible remains of pottery kilns and metal working forges. Traces of domestic and industrial activities, which would have supported a sizeable population, tell a story about the daily lives of people who lived in the town over several centuries.
It is possible that former natural streams leading to the River Kym were altered to supply water or contribute to an industrial process. On the higher ground, overlooking the town, a Roman villa was located.
Developers protect rare Roman site
The Roman town was identified following surveys undertaken as part of the East Park Energy project, and initial archaeological investigations requested by Cambridgeshire County Council and Historic England.
Recognising the historic importance of the remains, Brockwell Storage and Solar, who are developing the project, amended their plans and applied for heritage protection of the site.
To safeguard the Roman town, solar development is no longer proposed on the land, which will be given over to pasture. Historic England and Cambridgeshire County Council are advising East Park Energy on the care and management of the newly scheduled monument, to ensure that the story of this remarkable place can continue to be told and appreciated for future generations.
As this newly discovered Roman Town shows, our history is full of remarkable and often inspiring stories. That’s why it is so important to unearth and burnish our historic treasures to protect them for generations to come. This gives us a rare insight into the history of a life long before ours and will continue to expand our knowledge and understanding of the Roman era.
This was clearly a significant Roman town. The scale and diversity of the archaeological features give a remarkable insight into Roman life in the East of England and help us to understand more about when people came to this place, how they lived and worked, and why they left. An extraordinary discovery which has an intriguing tale to tell. We are delighted to have secured the protection of this important archaeology with the full support of the developer.
Also of interest
