58 SCIENTIFIC SURVEY OF YORK AND DISTRICT 



cutting through the surviving core and removing, throughout most of its 

 length, even its footings of blue clay and stone. The north-east gate, 

 which had suffered severely, was again patched up. Among other 

 buildings of this period was an apsidal-ended structure on the north-east 

 rampart near to the north corner. This was built over the ruins of an 

 earlier square building. Adjoining it was an open paved yard, containing 

 a large semicircular hearth, which itself overlay a blacksmith's forge. 



Pottery similar to that found in the coastal signal stations was found in 

 great abundance at this level, and it seems safe to conclude that the fort 

 served as base to the signal stations at Filey and Scarborough, with which 

 it was directly connected by road. 



The final period of the occupation has left no recognisable building, 

 but is characterised by roughly metalled or cobbled areas. Such a road 

 surface, rutted by wheeled traffic, and sealing beneath it quantities of 

 calcite-gritted ware, was found overlying the remains of the north-east 

 gate. The most striking feature of this last phase of the defences is two 

 rectangular trenches, 6 ft. wide, cut across the causeway leading into the 

 north-east gate. 



The Langton Villa. ^ 



In March 1926 the late Rev. C. V. Collier, F.S.A., partially excavated 

 two hypocaust chambers on the East Farm, Langton, about four miles 

 south-east of Malton. His untimely death led to the intermission of the 

 work, which was completed by Dr. J. L. Kirk, F.S.A., and the present 

 writer in 1929-30. The ground on which the settlement is situated has 

 a slight southward slope ; it is sheltered on the north by Langton Wold, 

 which separates it from the Malton fort. The excavations covered an 

 area of about 3 acres, and revealed an unexpected military occupation in 

 the first century, succeeded by a civil occupation which probably began 

 late in the second century or early in the third century. This continued 

 throughout the fourth century, and the abundance of coins and pottery 

 contemporary with the coastal signal stations indicates a flourishing civil 

 occupation in the last thirty years of the century. 



The earliest occupation was a small fortlet of 0-31 acre, defended by 

 a well-cut V-shaped ditch and having a single entrance near its south 

 corner. Its southern defences were supplemented by a second, smaller 

 ditch. No traces of rampart or internal buildings were found, but this 

 is not surprising, as the site was covered by successive later occupations. 

 In the filling of this early ditch was an interesting collection of sherds, 

 the bulk of which were hand-made calcite-gritted ware similar to that 

 found recently on the Iron Age sites on the Costa and at Thornton-le- 

 dale.^ With it, however, was a small group of Flavian sherds, among 

 which rustic ware predominated. 



The evidence of coins and pottery for a civil occupation of the site 

 before the latter part of the third century is very slight. Built inside 

 the eastern end of an earlier stone building was a complete small bath- 



2 A Roman Villa at Langton, near Malton, E. Yorkshire. By Philip Corder 

 and John L. Kirk, 1932. (Yorks. Arch. Soc.) 

 ^ Y.A.J., vol. cxviii, 1930. 



