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.
Details
The monument includes a farmstead of Romano-British date situated near the
foot of a small hill in an area of rough grassland. The sub-rectangular
farmstead appears as a platform measuring 45m east to west by 42m north to
south within a ditch and an external bank. The surrounding ditch is 3m wide
and has a maximum depth of 0.9m below the interior platform. Outside the ditch
there is a bank, best preserved on the east and south-east sides where it is
3m wide and stands to a height of 0.4m. The bank is less well preserved on the
other sides of the farmstead but can be traced as a low stony spread. There
are no visible traces of internal occupation within the farmstead but the
foundations of circular houses will survive beneath ground level.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
20939
Legacy System:
RSM
End of official list entry
