ROMANO-BRITISH BERKSHIRE 



It will be noticed that most of the coins found with the foundations and the graves 

 belong to the fourth century of our era. The curious fact pointed out by Professor 

 Rolleston, that by far the larger number of Romano-British skeletons were male, and 

 more than half of these those of men in advanced life, helps to corroborate the theory 

 that this little hamlet was the home of a Romano-British population in a time of com- 

 parative peace and prosperity, such as for the most part prevailed in inland Britain during 

 the closing years of Roman rule. 



Local tradition tells of an ancient path through a field bordering that in which the 

 Roman foundations were excavated, and one from Fyfield which still exists runs in a 

 straight line almost directly towards the villa. The road line from Bessels Leigh through 

 Frilford to Wantage is certainly Roman, and the modern road from Faringdon through 

 Kingston Bagpuize to Frilford may represent another ancient approach to the Romano- 

 British settlement there. 



FRILSHAM. In a footnote Dr. Stukeley mentions a Roman altar dedicated to Jupiter, dug 

 up in 1730 on the site of a Roman villa in the earl of Abingdon's grounds [Itin. Cur. (ed. 2) 

 63]. Later writers who refer to this altar appear to have no authority beyond this passage 

 \Journ. Brit. Arch. Ass. xxxvi. 28 ; Newbury Dist. Field Club Trans, iv. 183 ; Godwin, 

 Engl. Arch. Handbook, 43]. 



GREENHAM. Fragments of glass and of Samian and Upchurch ware [Cooper-King, Hist, 

 of Berks, 46 ; Newbury Dist. Field Club Trans, ii. 256] ; coins of Probus (A.D. 276-282) 

 and Diocletian (A.D. 284-305) [Kelly's Directory Berks, 76]. 



GRIMSBURY CASTLE. See 'Hampstead Norris.' 



HAGBOURNE HILL. See 'Chilton.' 



HAMPSTEAD MARSHALL. Three Romano-British vessels, one described as small, plain, of 

 grey ware and globular in form, were found in the Park, between 1864 and 1869 [Newbury 

 Dist. Field Club Trans, iii. 105]. 



The Ordnance Map (25 in. xlii. 3) marks a site in this parish where Roman vessels 

 were found in 1856. 



HAMPSTEAD NORRIS. This is a large parish north-east of Newbury, including the hamlets of 

 Well House and Baling, in both of which remains of Roman villas have been found. 

 The first discovery was made some time between 1820 and 1830 in a field on Well House 

 farm lying on the south side of a knoll in the valley below the high grounds of Cold Ash 

 [Hist, and Antiq. of Newbury and its Environs, 218-222]. There was an elevated spot 

 in the middle of this field where the plough was always prevented by loose stones from 

 going its usual depth, and in consequence the owner had a small part explored. Some 

 tessellated floors, two skeletons, and two or three Roman coins were discovered and then 

 the excavations were discontinued. It is said too that tiles, bricks and coins were often 

 turned up by the plough on Awbury Hill and in a field 'near Bantywick' in this neighbour- 

 hood. No further excavations were made, however, till 1861, when the discovery 

 of some important foundations at Marlston on a farm belonging to the same estate as 

 the Well House villa seems to have led to the re-excavation of the latter \Journ. Brit. 

 Arch. Assoc. xvii. 336 ; xix. 60-63]. The result showed that there must have been a large 

 mass of buildings, for the walls enclosed a considerable area. On the north was a wall 

 of flint and rubble, 1 08 feet long and 3 feet thick, at the western end of which the work- 

 men found the floor of a room 12 feet square with a perfect pavement of common red 

 tesserae. A passage seems to have led hence to some steps which descended into a cir- 

 cular chamber containing many fragments of pottery, animal remains and a flat stone 

 of grit imbedded in mortar and resting on a layer of fine white clay. There were frag- 

 ments of the horns of the bos longifrons and of the red deer, with bones of wolves, dogs and 

 foxes and quantities of oyster and snail shells. 



Amongst the many fragments of pottery, some of which were Samian, was an almost 

 perfect vessel of Durobrivian ware, of bluish-black hue and decorated with white scrolls 

 and pellets in relief, and with it a bronze armilla. There were two bronze fibulae half- 

 melted, pieces of many large urns and amphorae, lumps of melted glass, tesserae, tiles and 

 nails of various sizes . Only two Roman coins were found one a third brass of Tetricus 

 the Elder (A.D. 267-274). The broken ware, the molten glass and the original position 

 of the two skeletons a couple of feet below the surface with their faces downwards led 

 Dr. Palmer, who reported on the excavations, to conclude that the villa had been sacked 

 and burnt, and that the inmates had perished in its defence. Unfortunately the excava- 

 tions were not carried out completely and no plans have been left. 

 I 209 27 



