Reasons for Designation
In Cumbria and Northumberland several distinctive types of native settlements dating to the Roman period have been identified. The majority were small, non- defensive, enclosed homesteads or farms. In many areas they were of stone construction, although in the coastal lowlands timber-built variants were also common. In much of Northumberland, especially in the Cheviots, the enclosures were curvilinear in form. Further south a rectangular form was more common. Elsewhere, especially near the Scottish border, another type occurs where the settlement enclosure was `scooped' into the hillslope. Frequently the enclosures reveal a regularity and similarity of internal layout. The standard layout included one or more stone round-houses situated towards the rear of the enclosure, facing the single entranceway. In front of the houses were pathways and small enclosed yards. Homesteads normally had only one or two houses, but larger enclosures could contain as many as six. At some sites the settlement appears to have grown, often with houses spilling out of the main enclosure and clustered around it. At these sites up to 30 houses may be found. In the Cumbrian uplands the settlements were of less regimented form and unenclosed clusters of houses of broadly contemporary date are also known. These homesteads were being constructed and used by non-Roman natives throughout the period of the Roman occupation. Their origins lie in settlement forms developed before the arrival of the Romans. These homesteads are common throughout the uplands where they frequently survive as well-preserved earthworks. In lowland coastal areas they were also originally common, although there they can frequently only be located through aerial photography. All homestead sites which survive substantially intact will normally be identified as nationally important.
The settlement 450m east of Eweclose survives well and will contain archaeological deposits relating to its construction, use and abandonment and environmental deposits relating to the use of the surrounding landscape. The monument provides insight into the character of settlement and subsistence during the Romano-British period.
Details
The monument includes a Romano-British settlement enclosure situated on a north west facing slope with extensive views to the north and west and overlooked by higher ground to the south east. The enclosure, which is preserved as an earthwork, is D-shaped and is surrounded by an earth and stone bank varying in height from 0.2m to 1m and a slight intermittent outer ditch. Within the interior of the enclosure are a number of quarry scoops and in the south west quadrant are the remains of an internal partition in the form of a low bank. A dyke overlies the north west corner of the enclosure and this extends westwards beyond the scheduled area. Further archaeological remains, which have not been assessed for designation, survive in the vicinity of the monument.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
CU 203
Legacy System:
RSM - OCN
End of official list entry
