A HISTORY OF BUCKINGHAMSHIRE 



Roman pins in bronze ; a small fibula, showing signs of wear, the type of which is rare 

 in England ; also a silver ring with octagonal exterior and a blank facet \_Rec. of Bucks, iv, 

 209 ; Arch. Journ. xxxiii, 357]. 



HUGHENDEN. In 1826 an urn containing four small silver coins and three copper ones was turned 

 up in a field near Hazlemere turnpike-gate ; near this deposit was an arch of flints, supported 

 by two side walls, about the size of a common grave, not more than 3 ft. long. About it were 

 several broken Roman tiles, pieces of urns, fragments of unburnt pottery and of what appeared 

 to be part of a quern [Lipscomb, Hist. Bucks, iii, 583]. It has been suggested that this was a 

 Roman burying-place, but there is not sufficient evidence for such a conclusion. Yet the 

 remains are not entirely Roman in character, for a battle-axe was also discovered, which points 

 to a deposit, perhaps a later one, of Saxon origin. A vase, probably Roman, was also dis- 

 covered in the excavations at Hughenden Vicarage, 1883. This was exhibited at the Loan 

 Exhibition at Aylesbury, 1905 [Catalogue of Loan Exhibition]. 



KIMBLE, GREAT. Great Kimble stands on the higher track known as the Upper Icknield Way, 

 to which should probably be assigned a British origin, though it is possible that the road was 

 here used by the Romans. The following remains were found in a barrow and are very 

 probably British, although described as Romano-British [Proc. Sac. Antiq. (Ser. 2), xii, 340] : 

 two urns, the larger of the two in an inverted position with the smaller one resting on its 

 shoulder, 17 in. in height, containing white powder and a small perforated vessel, which was 

 possibly an incense cup, these were buried in a shallow grave in the chalk. The lower part 

 of the grave was covered with black ashes. Lipscomb [Hist. Bucks, ii, 341] also speaks of a 

 square camp commanding the track of the Icknield Way, on the brow of the hill, south of the 

 church, at the north-west corner of Pulpit Wood. 



KIMBLE, LITTLE. The remains possibly of a Roman villa were discovered here. Fragments of a 

 small tessellated pavement were found near the turnpike road, laid in mortar, measuring 4 ft. by 

 3 ft. Foundations of flint were discovered at the same time, and in the adjoining fields near Great 

 Kimble, Roman tiles and coins have been occasionally found, and buckles, rings, tiles, tesserae, 

 and painted plaster, fragments of which were exhibited at the Loan Exhibition at Buckingham, 

 1855 \_Rec. of Bucks, i, 39; Ibid. 'Catalogue of Exhibition']. The three sites of Great 

 Kimble, Little Kimble, and Ellesborough are in such close proximity that it is possible the 

 three together formed one settlement. 



LATIMER. A little to the south-west of Latimer, which is situated on the road from Chenies to 

 Chesham, is Dell Farm, shut in on two sides by Lane Wood and West Wood. On this 

 spot there is a slightly-elevated mound, in which Roman tesserae were discovered in 1 834 by 

 workmen who were employed in diverting the road here, which originally ran between the farm- 

 house and the river. A few yards to the north-west were four human skeletons with coins 

 and fragments of earthen vessels deposited near them, which were taken away by a stranger. 

 The following account of later discoveries is given by the Rev. Bryant Burgess \_Rec. of Bucks. 

 iii, no. 5, pp. 181-5]. '^ n ^63 numerous tesserae of various sizes, pieces of tile and mortar, 

 with the peculiar pink tinge which is characteristic of Roman manufacture, were found lying 

 by the side of the road where it was cut thrpugh the mound, and at three inches below the 

 level of the road a tessellated pavement of coarse red ware.' 



Excavations were made in 1864 and are described by Mr. Bryant Burgess. From his 

 description it appears that a portion of a villa of the corridor type was disclosed, comprising a 

 range of rooms with a corridor on the north-west 8 ft. 6 in. wide (3, 5 on plan). The corridor 

 was divided by a wall and doorway, to the south-west of which it ran for 34 ft. and was paved 

 with flat tiles 16 in. by 12 in., and to the north-east it was traced for 39 ft. and was paved with 

 red tesserae. There was probably a corridor on the opposite side of the range of rooms, as 

 fragments of a tessellated floor were discovered at a y a, a, on plan. Room i (see plan) 

 measured 19 ft. 6 in. by 22 ft. ; the tesserae in the room were I J in. square. The walls were 

 plastered, and the part remaining was coloured a dull red, but pieces of plaster were found in 

 the room painted white with a red or green stripe, and some of three different colours. The floor 

 here, as in the other rooms, was covered with a black powder of decayed wood, with which iron 

 nails from i^ in. to 5 in. in length were intermingled ; above this was a mass of broken ridge 

 and flanged tiles, together with large flints and mortar, evidently the remains of the rafters and 

 roof-tiles. These would perhaps point to the villa having fallen to decay and not having 

 been destroyed. Room 2, which was 19 ft. 6 in. in length by 9 ft. 3 in. in breadth, com- 

 municated with room i by a doorway 5 ft. wide, and also by another doorway to room 4. 

 Possibly it was a vestibule, as it had a doorway 6 ft. wide through the north-east wall. The 

 floor was of concrete. Room 4 was 19 ft. 6 in. by 12 ft. It was paved with red tesserae, and 

 contained a considerable quantity of broken pottery and charred wood. Upon the south-west 

 wall were the remains of colour. Rooms 6 and 10 were only partially traced. A few tesserae 



