A HISTORY OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE 



blue with a double line of white inclosing a brilliant scroll border in which all three colours 

 were interlaced. Inner lines of white and blue separated this scroll border from the centre, 

 which was filled with a great variety of geometrical figures grouped round a large ellipse. The 

 floor of tesserae was laid in a bed of cement with a great depth of black artificial soil beneath 

 it. Much charred wood was found about the site, which, with the absence of other relics, 

 makes it probable that the villa was destroyed by fire. No attempt seems to have been made to 

 investigate any other part of the field, or even to complete the excavation of this pavement [Nott, 

 Daily Guardian, 23 Feb. 1877 ; Arch. Journ. xliii, 31 ; Gent. Mag. 1856, i, 506 ; Rom. Brit. 

 Rem. i, 259 ; Briscoe, Old Notts. (Ser. 2), 141]. At no great distance from the villa is a 

 supposed fortification known as Brand's Hill or Brent Hill [Ordnance Survey, 6-in. xlv, NE. ; 

 V.C.H. Notts, i, 312], which has been thought to show traces of Roman occupation. 

 Gough speaks of coins found here, as do Reynolds and Throsby, apparently on his authority 

 [Camden, Brit, ii, 401 ; Iter. Brit. 422 ; Hist, of Notts, i, 101]. Watkin concluded that it 

 was Roman l [Arch Journ. xliii, 32] ; but the generally received opinion, upheld by Mr. Steven- 

 son in his article on Earthworks {V.C.H. Notts, i, 3I2] 2 is that we have here probably remains 

 of prehistoric terrace-ploughing. It is not, however, impossible that the Romans occupied 

 a position here subsequently, as suggested by Laird [Beauties of Engl. and Wales, xii, 

 pt. i, 3, 187. 



BEESTON. Portions of a Roman road are said to be discernible, also 'remains of an ancient building' 

 [Lewis, Topog. Diet, of Engl. (7th ed. 1849)]. 



BINGHAM. In the Castle Museum at Nottingham is a tubular earthenware tile, said to be from 

 Bins;ham, but more probably from Mrs. Miles' excavations at East Bridgeford (p. 16) ; also 

 other objects found with it [Information from Prof. F. Granger]. 



BLIDWORTH. A bronze key found here [Sketch of Sherwood Forest, pi. 4, fig. 2, p. 25], may be 

 Roman (cf. MANSFIELD). 



BLYTH. Roman coins were found here in 1692 [Cough's Camden, ii, 407 ; Arch. Journ. xliii, 36]. 

 See also TORWORTH. 



BRIDGEFORD, EAST. Site of Margidunum ; see above, p. 15. 



BRIDGEFORD, WEST. Throsby quotes from Deering to the effect that West Bridgeford may have 

 been a Roman station, owing to its proximity to the Trent, and its distance of not five itinerary 

 miles from the Fosse, and of eight or nine miles from East Bridgeford. The arguments seem in- 

 adequate ; but a pot of Roman coins appears to have been found at Wilford close by (v. sub voce) 

 [Thoroton, Hist, of Notts, (ed. Throsby), ii, 1 1 ; Deering, Nottinghamia vetus et nova (1751), 

 287]. A 'stone man" on a slab at the chancel door of the church is maintained by 

 ' Camulodunum,' writing in a local magazine, to be a figure of a Roman centurion in a toga, 

 and not a Crusader, as popularly believed. This theory is, however, stated by Mr. W. P. W. 

 Phillimore to have not the slightest authority [Notts, and Derb. Notes and Queries, ii (Feb. 



l893)> 7,22]. 



BROUGH. Site of Crococolana ; see above, p. it. 



BROUGHTON, UPPER. See WILLOUGHBY, p. 17. 



CALVERTON. Nearly two hundred denarii, chiefly of Trajan and Hadrian (A.D. 98138), were 



found in 1797 in a broken pot [Thoroton, Hist, of Notts, (ed. Throsby), ii, 147]. 

 CARBURTON. Stated, but without authority, to be a Roman settlement [Kelly's Dir. 1904^.40.] 

 CAR COLSTON. Part of the station of Margidunum is in this parish ; see under BRIDGEFORD, EAST 



(P- IS)- 



CLARBOROUGH. A Roman marble bust from this site, lent by Mr. Henry Hill, was exhibited at Notting- 

 ham, Jan. 1899 [Thoroton Soc. Trans, iii, 51, no. 354]. This bust is illustrated in fig. 7, from a 

 photograph kindly supplied by the owner, who states that it was found by a labourer some fifty 

 years ago, and that he acquired it at the sale of the effects of the late Canon Brookes of 

 Nottingham, formerly of Clarborough. No other Roman remains have been found here, but 

 the discovery seems to be authenticated ; it is certainly remarkable that such an exceptionally 

 good piece of work, ranking with the best examples of Roman sculpture found in Britain, 

 should have come to light in this unexpected place. The bust is about 14 in. high, and appears 

 to date from the 3rd century. It represents a clean-shaven elderly personage in military 

 costume, but it is doubtful whether it is an emperor, though the close-cut hair and the 

 features suggest Balbinus (A.D. 238). 



CLAYWORTH. See WISETON. 



COLLINGHAM, NORTH. Roman pottery has been frequently met with, and stones supposed to be 

 Roman are worked into the walls of cottages and gardens \Journ. Brit. Arch. Assoc. xli, 84], 



1 He compares similar terraces near Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland. 



* See the plan there given. He classes it among uncertain earthworks (Class X). 



24 



