Romano-British farmstead 1km south-west of East Bolton

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 farmstead south-west of East Bolton is well preserved and retains significant archaeological deposits. It is one of a group of similar settlements in the area and will contribute to any study of the settlement pattern at this time.

Details

The monument includes the remains of a stone built farmstead of Romano-British date, situated immediately below the brow of a hill with a southerly aspect. The farmstead, roughly oval in shape, measures 30m east to west by 24m north to south within a stone wall 3m wide and standing to a maximum of 1m high. There is an entrance 4m wide in the south-east side. Within the enclosure there are the centrally placed foundations of a single prehistoric house 8.5m in diameter with walls 2m wide and 1m high. The house has an entrance in the eastern side.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract. It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features, considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

21034

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
NU 11 NW 19,

End of official list entry