Romano-British Settlement at Chittering, Cambs

Reasons for Designation

In Roman Britain the majority of the population lived in the countryside and were engaged in farming. Many small farmers lived in rural settlements whilst larger farms were often centred around a Romanised farmhouse or villa. In the second century AD a major scheme of land drainage was implemented in the fenland area and many farming settlements became established alongside the Roman roads. Very few villas are known in this area as the region was probably administered as an Imperial Estate. Trackways ran at right angles from the Roman roads and led to settlements which varied in size and design. All were associated with a regular pattern of fields utilised for arable farming, stock rearing and horticulture. Chittering is one of very few Romano-British fen-edge rural settlements surviving as earthworks. Its importance is emphasised by its proximity to a major Roman road and trackways providing good communications with other settlements in the vicinity. Since the site has not been ploughed there is considerable potential for the survival of below ground archaeological remains.

Details

This site is composed of a series of earthworks representing the remains of part of a substantial farming settlement of the Roman period. It lies beside the modern A10 and close to the Roman road Akeman Street. The site covers approximately 2.6ha and consists of a group of raised rectangular areas laid out in a regular pattern and standing to a height of about 0.8m. A number of trackways divide the platforms, and shallow depressions within the raised areas are considered to be the remains of house foundations. Finds of pottery and evidence of crop marks from aerial photographs indicate that this settlement extended both to the west alongside Akeman Street and to the east of the existing area of earthworks, although this area has been extensively disturbed by ploughing. Pottery dated to the second, third and fourth centuries AD has been found in areas adjacent to the site, indicating the extensive and fairly long lived nature of the settlement.

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:

13605

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Phillips, C W, Royal Geographical Society Research Series in The Fenland in Roman Times, (1970)

Other
CUCAP, ANB 11-14,

End of official list entry

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