A HISTORY OF SUFFOLK 



including specimens of so called-Samian ware, urns, ashes, bones of animals, 

 etc., and amongst other things a kitchen chopper of no unusual form, which he 

 calls a sacrificial knife. ^^ At Coddenham " again in 1826, in an inclosure 

 near the banks of the Gipping, much broken pottery, and Roman bricks, tiles, 

 and ashes were discovered. An ancient road crossing a ford passed through 

 this inclosure. Further, at Westhall near Halesworth in a field called Mill 

 Post Field, beside a small stream, an area of 2 acres was thickly strewn with 

 broken pottery, and the earth for a depth of i ft. 6 in. showed signs of burning." 



The inclosure of Burgh with its scattered remains of building material 

 has already been noted, but another site as noteworthy as Burgh must be 

 mentioned. This lies in the Stonham parishes, and, if the record of it is not 

 exaggerated, suggests the former existence of a village. In a valley crossing 

 the boundaries of the parishes of Earl Stonham and Little Stonham excavations 

 were carried on in 1867 over an area of several acres, and it was reported 

 that these showed that houses had occupied the north side of the valley, while 

 opposite on the south side the cemetery could be traced by many cinerary 

 urns, often covered with a tile. From the presence of flue tiles on the north 

 side of the valley, the deduction was clear that hypocausts had existed there, 

 and afforded a proof that houses of some importance once occupied the spot. 

 But there were no traces of foundations to be made out." 



Other sites, however, indicate the former presence of houses. At a 

 place called Red Castle Farm near Ixworth " a mosaic pavement, afterwards 

 destroyed, was discovered in the i8th century. Again at Rougham, in the 

 vicinity of a group of Roman sepulchral tumuli (of which more presently), 

 a floor was observed of which the following account was given in 1843 to the 

 Gentleman s Magazine. ' In a field occupied by Mr. Levett, about 250 yards 

 south-east of the tumuli, the plough struck on some vestiges of buildings. 

 About the middle of the field we ourselves observed the plain remains of a 

 Roman floor constructed of pounded tiles and mortar, and a stratum of fine 

 white calcareous stucco on the surface.' A somewhat similar instance 

 occurred at Whitton near Ipswich, where in laying the foundations of a new 

 farm-house in 1854 in a field called Castle Field great quantities of Roman 

 bricks were dug up and a fragment of mosaic pavement of somewhat singular 

 design was also uncovered. This latter was saved from the usual destruction 

 attending such things and presented to the Ipswich Museum. 



More definite traces of habitations than those already given can be cited, 

 as, for instance, at Eye.'" There being a tradition that buildings had once 

 stood in a field called Camp Field to the north of the town, the owner of the 

 ground determined to test its truth and in an excavation made in 1857 came 

 upon what seems to have been a Roman hypocaust with its furnace. Little 

 was done, or possibly much more might have been revealed, and the discovery 

 was very imperfectly recorded. Another hypocaust with its furnace complete 

 was found in 1835 at a spot about half a mile south of Ixworth" on the way 

 to Stowlangtoft. The same fate befell this relic as that cited at Eye. Little 

 beyond the opening up of this hypocaust appears to have been attempted, 



" Camden, Brit. (ed. Gough), 1789 (Add.), 4, 81. " Gent. Mag. 1825, pt. i, 291-3. 



^' Arch. 1855, xxxvi, 454 et seq. It was in this field tiat bronze enamelled objects of Celtic character 

 were found mixed with others of Roman date. 



" Joum. Brit. Arch. Assoc. 1868, xxiv, 184-5. " Gent. Mag. 1843. pt. ii, 524-8. 



" East Angl. Notes, 1864, i, 249. " Prcc. Suff. Inst. Arch, i, 77-8. 



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