# Archaeological Journal/Volume 8/Collections Illustrative of Roman Occupation: Roman Villa at Hadstock, Essex

COLLECTIONS ILLUSTRATIVE OF ROMAN OCCUPATION.
ROMAN VILLA AT HADSTOCK, ESSEX.
DISCOVERED BY THE HON. RICHARD NEVILLE, F.S.A.
During the autumn of the past year, the unwearied zeal, with which Mr. Neville has pursued the investigation of British and Roman vestiges in the neighbourhood of Audley End, was again crowned with success. His constant kindness and liberality have given us the gratification of bringing the results before the members of the Institute.
The discoveries made by Mr. Neville, with which our readers are already conversant, through the communications given in the Journal, were connected with the neighbourhood of the Roman station at Chesterford, on the borders of Cambridgeshire and Essex. The present notices relate to a locality in the county last named, of singular interest, on account of its vicinity to the remarkable range of hill-sepulchres in the parish of Ashdown. The solution by the late Mr. Rokewode of the long-mooted question regarding the age of the Bartlow Hills, and the purpose with which they were raised, must be numbered amongst the most interesting discoveries of recent years in England. The field in which the villa lately excavated by Mr. Neville is situate, lies about half a mile northward of those tumuli, which are plainly seen from the spot, and about a mile from Hadstock Church. At the lower end of the field runs the boundary line between the parishes of Linton, in Cambridgeshire, and Hadstock, in Essex. In the summer of 1846 an excavation was there commenced by Mr. Neville, and a small tessellated pavement, now in his museum at Audley End, was found. During the summer of the last year he determined to ascertain whether any foundations or further vestiges still remained, and he recommenced operations on August 6th, 1850.
During that and the succeeding month, the site of an extensive villa was brought to light, with various interesting ​details of ancient construction, of which admirable drawings and a plan were preserved by Mr. J. C. Buckler, as also a valuable descriptive report. Mr. Neville has not only placed all these at our disposal, but he has generously presented the accompanying illustrations.
A great part of the foundations had, unfortunately, been taken up some years since, for the purpose of repairing the highways. There are several persons in the neighbourhood who state their recollection that, some twenty years ago, a great quantity of stones were obtained from what appeared to be very thick and solid walls. The line was indeed perceived, during the late operations, where the earth had been formerly moved, and the foundations broken up. It afforded indications, with the vestiges actually brought to light, that this villa must have been unusually extensive. The following memorials, by Mr. Buckler, will enable the reader to appreciate the interest and importance of these remains:—
"At the distance of about 150 yards, in a south-easterly direction, from the isolated fragment of a massive wall of Roman workmanship, formerly noticed, have recently been brought to light the foundations of a villa, with which have been preserved a greater variety of interesting features than appeared in the remains of other examples of similar buildings discovered at Ickleton and Chesterford, and described in the Archaeological Journal, Vol. vi., p. 14. In those instances, the walls, wherever any portions of them remained, had been destroyed, to within about two feet of their foundation; but, in the present instance, the destruction which seems to have commenced at one angle, extending even to the uprooting of the foundations, was stayed ere the buildings were uniformly demolished to the level of the ground or principal floor; and in this example it is evident that the subterranean chambers suffered greater injury from the descent of the materials of the superincumbent walls, at the time of their overthrow, than from violence offered to them in any other way
Ground Plan.
"Spacious apartments, requiring an ample extent in the outer walls, were not indispensable, at least there is no reason to believe that magnificence was ever contemplated in forming the plans of the different villas, of which frequent discoveries have been made in this district.
"The building, in its present condition, exhibits considerable regularity, consisting of two parts, the one of greater length extending from north-east to south-west; the other, joining it at right angles, and exceeding it in width, stretches towards the south-east, in which direction its termination is complete; but at the north angle, the remains present so confused an appearance, owing to the obliteration of some of the walls, and the dismemberment of others, that it would seem as if their final destruction, which had been commenced, was suddenly relinquished for the less laborious employment of covering up the remains with earth and rubbish.
"The site was singularly ill chosen, at least if an opinion may be hazarded without knowing the nature and appropriation of the ground around. It was built on a slope, the transverse member, containing the baths and superior apartments, having a considerable ascent from its base, the ground descending from the other extremity of the building. The serious inconvenience of this choice of position seems to have been early felt; it was provided against by an alteration in the baths, and a more ready means of drawing away the water, which has never ceased to flow through the trenches, and was found in former times to be so seriously detrimental to the comfort of the residence, as to lead to changes involving considerable trouble. The full merit of these alterations cannot now be appreciated: they may have answered the purpose intended, but, judging from the appearances presented by the nature of the position and the means adopted by art to counteract the defect for which they were undertaken, it is not too much to declare that the utmost advantage of the site was not taken, and that by directing the course of the drains to the south-east, instead of towards the south-west, or the lowest level the channel was deepened ​and widened to its outlet to little purpose. It seems likely that, after having been carried a few yards beyond the walls, the water dispersed itself underground.
"The material and the mode of construction are the same in this as in the examples before alluded to. The bulk of nearly all the walls is brick, but the south-western extremity of the building has nothing of the kind; and flint, with here and there an admixture of block-chalk and clunch, has been employed. The walls were not all carried up at one and the same time, those of stone, at the south-west extremity, having been inserted between cross walls, or added in extension of others of finished brick-work. There was no tie between the materials thus brought together; the junctions noticed were effected by sound workmanship, and were not concealed from view on the exterior. In connexion with this part of the subject, it may be well to remark that the quoins of several of the apertures and other portions of the walls were composed of large flanged tiles of a tapering form, and notched to fit together as a covering or coping. The abundance of this kind of material employed in the manner shown (see the accompanying illustrations), and also promiscuously in different parts of the building, besides the quantity mingled with the heaps of rubbish, cannot escape observation; neither may the fact that the flue-bricks, another description of material at hand for common purposes, were employed in the absence of plain tile-bricks; and in one of the drains, the inlet from the room was formed of a brick of this kind, as the most ready means of contracting the aperture. With these exceptions, there is nothing to remark with respect to the construction of the walls, or of the materials of which they are composed, that has not been noticed and described as occurring in other similar remains.
"The hypocaust was placed in the centre of the building; the baths occupied that portion of the north-east wing contiguous thereto; the remainder of this wing, with the entire length and breadth of the other member of the house over the hypocaust, furnace, and other underground spaces, having been occupied by the lodging-rooms.
Bath, with steps for descent.
"The plan of one of the baths resembles the letter D; it is 9 feet wide, 6 feet 10 inches in length, to the lower step; the entire length, inside, having been 8 feet 5 inches, when the wall at the entrance was perfect. The three steps appear to have extended from side to side; these, with the walls, exhibit the same neat style of finish with cement already observed, the skirting being carried upon the ends of the steps up to the level of the floor over. The covering of the floor resembles that of the walls; but the whole was no sooner completed, as described, than an alteration in the arrangement of this underground part of the house was made, which well nigh destroyed its utility; indeed, it would seem to have been superseded by the adjoining bath, which encroached 27 inches upon its length, concealing, beneath a mass of rubble work, overlaid with a tessellated pavement, the original figure and dimensions, which were only ascertained by the removal of the intruding portion of the new bath, in pursuance of Mr. Neville's directions.
Section of drain.
"That the bath first described was superseded by the one just noticed, becomes evident by the destruction of the drain connected therewith, in order to form the new branch, and to unite it with the main line on the outside of the wall, as shown in the accompanying plan. This is an excellent piece of construction, wholly of brick, and for some reason now unknown, instead of being carried in a straight line past the corner of the building, was returned at right angles just within the end wall, where its width is 23 inches, and the outlet 20 inches, the boundary wall being sloped away to avoid impediment. At the point, where the drain reenters the building, the wall over was carried upon an arch, which is one of the most curious features among the ruins, and remains in perfect preservation.
​"A room beyond the baths, measuring between the walls 14 feet 10 inches by 13 feet, received the heated air in a connected line of flue on the four sides, and across the centre, in each direction, 1 foot 6 inches in depth from the floor, and 12 inches wide, floored and evenly coated on the sides with cement, like the walls, in which arc formed vertical flues, 73/4 inches wide, and 41/2 deep, arranged as if designed to contribute heat to adjoining apartments. The means by which the supply was communicated from the chamber of the hypocaust do not appear, and the same observation applies to the mode in which the water was conducted to the interior.
It has been remarked that, excepting the baths which were sunk in the ground, a level line was observed in the floor throughout the house: from the deepest sinking in the capacious chamber of the hypocaust, the height is 2 feet 7 inches, shown by the pillars of brick, the greater number of which are still standing; they are 8 inches square, raised in fourteen courses, with basements either of one or two courses 11 inches square. The pillars are thickly set, in order to sustain the tile floor of the room over, but of this only the ruins are to be found at the base. The furnace is at the outer end, the aperture between it and the heating chamber, passing through a solid wall, is 191/2 inches in width.
A more extended description would throw no light upon the perfect economy of the interior arrangement. It will be noticed on reference to the accompanying plan, that simply arranged apartments, in one portion of the building, now present a complicated and irregular appearance, owing to the exposure of foundations once concealed by tessellated floors; and no account can be given of the extensive wall, 3 feet 6 inches in thickness, adjoining one of nearly the same bulk at the angle of the outermost bath."
The miscellaneous relics brought to light during the examination of the extensive remains described in the fore- going narrative, were of a less interesting and valuable character than those, which on previous occasions had repaid Mr. Neville's well-directed investigation of the sites occupied by the Roman colonists of ICIANI, and its vicinity. Mr. J. Lane Oldham, who has fully participated on such occasions in the zealous interest with which these researches have been prosecuted by Mr. Neville, and who closely watched the progress and details of the late excavation, has supplied ​the following account of the relics and coins found amongst the debris of the Hadstock villa.
Of fictilia, the customary assemblage of fragments of the various kinds of ware, "Samian," and Romano-British, were disinterred; two urns were found in a perfect state; they were ollæ of dark-coloured ware, and of forms frequently occurring amongst remains of the Roman period. One fragment of the finer ware bore the potter's impress,—ROPPVS. FE. In the list of marks occurring on "Samian" ware found on the site of the Royal Exchange, London, and now preserved in the Museum of the Corporation of London, as described by Mr. Thompson in his interesting "Descriptive Catalogue," two specimens are noticed, marked—ROIPVS F. and there is also this impress—of RO . . . The reading Roipus may possibly be attributed to the stamp being indistinctly impressed. Mr. Roach Smith, in his "Collectanea Antiqua," has given—ROPPVS. FE. from Samian discovered in London, as on the fragment at Hadstock. He gives likewise ROPVSI FE.
Several flue-tiles were found, some having square, and others circular apertures at the sides for the diffusion of heat. Examples with the circular perforation have been noticed, found at Kaer Sws, co. Montgomery, and amongst Roman remains in East Cheap, London, decribed by the late Mr. Kempe. In the last instance there are two such lateral apertures on each of the opposite sides of the tile.
Of objects formed of metal may be enumerated,—a plain bronze ring, a portion of a chain, a pair of tweezers, or rolsellæ, with a ring passed through the end of them, probably for the attachment of some other little implements, as in another pair, in Mr. Neville's museum, found at Chesterford, the same purpose is effected by a loop of small wire. (See woodcuts given in the Journal, vol. v., p. 236.) There was also found a bronze key, and a large bronze buckle, which, although discovered so nearly connected with relics of Roman times, may be of questionable date.
Of iron, the only objects deserving of mention are a ​knife and a key. A comb was found, formed of bone, and resembling those previously in Mr. Neville's collection, found at Chesterford. Three pins of bone, in a perfect state, and several broken pins. A profuse variety of examples of the bone acus, of all sizes and fashions, have been repeatedly found in the excavations directed by Mr. Neville.
Numerous fragments of Roman glass were produced. The remains of animals were met with, as usually the case in such excavations, in large quantities.
The coins discovered, about twenty in number, comprised a third brass of Gallienus (A.D. 253 to 268) Obv. a galeated head to the R.—GALLIENVS AVG. Rev. a centaur,—APPOLINI CONS. AVG. In the exergue, Z.
Third brass of Constantino the Great, struck at Treves. Rev. Two Victories holding a flag, inscribed—VOT. P. R. Legend, VICTORIA LÆtÆ . PRIN . PERP. In the exergue, S. T. R. Amongst the others, generally in bad condition, are coins of Victorinus, Allectus, Constantino, and Valentinian.
* ↑ See the Memoirs on the Bartlow Hills, Archæologia, vols. xxv. p. 1; xxvi. pp. 300, 462; xxviii. p. 1.
* ↑ Descriptive Catalogue of Antiquities found in the Excavations at the New Royal Exchange, preserved in the Museum of the Corporation of London. With Introductory Observations by William Tite, Esq., F.S.A. 8vo. Lond., 1848.
* ↑ Collectanea Antiqua, Vol. I., p. 154. 1848.
* ↑ Camden's Brit. ed. Gough, 1804, Vol. III., pl. ix., p. 164.
* ↑ Archaeologia, Vol. XXIV., pl. xlv.