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Untitled - Council for British Archaeology

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Roman features<br />

Building 1 (Fig.16 )<br />

This was a very substantial structure measuring<br />

22 x 11 metres, aligned east-west, constructed on a<br />

levelled area cut slightly back into the slope of the<br />

hill to the west, and banked up at the east end of the<br />

building. The west and north walls had been almoét<br />

completely destroyed by stone robbing, whilst land<br />

drains and furrows had caused more superficial damage,<br />

un<strong>for</strong>tunately, to a number of wall junctions. The<br />

earliest part of the structure appeaied to consist<br />

of a rectangle 17 x 8 metres, the walls of which were<br />

very well'constructed, with foundations cut 80 cm below<br />

internal floor level. Ploughing had removed most<br />

internal details, though there were signs of two internal<br />

partitions, giving a large central room with two slightly<br />

smaller rooms to the west and east. Traces of opus<br />

signinum flooring remained in the central room.<br />

Subsequent additions to this structure consisted<br />

of a corridor 2 metres wide along the north side, and<br />

an eastward extension measuring 5 x 11 metres, separated<br />

into two rooms. Both of these extensions were less well<br />

built than the original structure, with shallow foundations<br />

and external buttressing. The later east wall, 90cm in<br />

width, vas much wider, than all the others, suggesting the<br />

possibility of a second,storey, though it is difficult to<br />

see how this could have fitted in with the rest of the<br />

structure.<br />

The rubble overlying Building 1 yielded quantities of<br />

tegulae and imbrices, indicating that the structure, had a,<br />

completely tiled roof. A large amount of painted wall<br />

plaster, albeit in very small fragments owing to plough<br />

damage, indicated that the interior of the structure was<br />

decorated in at least iix different Colours.<br />

Building 2<br />

This very fragmentary structure was situated to the<br />

north of Building 1. It appeared to have been 6 metres<br />

wide, and at least 13 metres long. The only surviving<br />

structural remains were part of the west wall, the north<br />

wall having been completely robbed away. There was no<br />

trace of the north or east walls- absence of the latter<br />

suggested an open-fronted barn. The internal floor was<br />

of packed limestone rubble, partly pitched. A stone<br />

structure 1 metre wide built up against the west wall<br />

probably <strong>for</strong>med the support <strong>for</strong> a bench or manger.<br />

To the east of Building 2 were traces of, a gravel<br />

surface <strong>for</strong>ming a yard, partly enclosed by the two buildings<br />

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