Linear earthwork in Bridle's Copse, south west of Silchester

Reasons for Designation

The Roman town of Calleva Atrebatum, Silchester, is in open country and therefore one of the small number of Roman town sites where subsequent building has not obscured the origins and development of the site. The town began as a settlement in the pre-Roman Iron Age, when earthworks enclosing the site and dividing its environs were constructed. The site was laid out anew as a Roman town in the first century AD, becoming a civitas capital, or administrative centre, for the local people, the Atrebates. Recent excavations have indicated that the earliest occupation of the site dates from the second half of the first century BC. The complete plan of the Iron Age settlement is not known, but extensive excavation within the town walls in the years between 1890 and 1909 has enabled the layout of the subsequent Roman town to be broadly established. The end of Roman administration in the fifth century AD resulted in the decline of Calleva and, although the town continued to be occupied for a while, it failed to develop further, reverting to open country once again. The linear earthwork in Bridle's Copse forms part of an extensive complex of earthworks lying to the south and west of Calleva which is thought to be associated with the town's Iron Age precursor. This earthwork is well- preserved and will contain archaeological and environmental information relating to the construction and use of the monument. It will also enhance our understanding of territorial division and defence in the pre-Roman period.

Details

The monument includes a linear earthwork, one of several associated with the Late Iron Age precursor of the Roman town of Calleva. The earthwork is in Bridle`s Copse, c.1.9km south west of Calleva and south of the village of Silchester. The earthwork is c.300m long and for approximately two-thirds of its length is aligned from south east to north west, turning more directly northwards towards the northern end. The northern section of the earthwork consists of a ditch with a bank on its western side. The ditch is c.12m wide and the bank up to 10m wide, rising up to 2.3m above the base of the ditch and 0.5m above ground level to the west. The change of alignment appears to mark a reduction in the size of the earthwork, although the area south of the track is closely planted with conifers which obscure the sides of the ditch and the surrounding area. No bank is visible in the more open woodland at the south eastern edge of Bridle's Copse where the ditch is c.9m wide and 0.4m deep. The earthwork stops abruptly at the boundary of the wood and cannot be seen in the field immediately to the south east. Excluded from the scheduling are all fencing and associated posts and the forest track, although the ground beneath them is included.

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:

24334

Legacy System:

RSM

End of official list entry

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