A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



about 249 A.D., the other of small brass, partly of the Thirty Tyrants, and ending about 

 270 A.D. The earlier coins were much worn by circulation. The only one of interest is that 

 of Verus. The forgeries were probably cast under Otacilia Severa (a.d. 244). The metal 

 objects included two bronze fibulae, one originally tinned and of bow shape, ' with its front 

 plate in the form of a leaf ; the other was circular, I J in. diameter, and set with dark green 

 glass and decorated with a bird ' deeply moulded on the flat face of a low truncated 

 cone,' and probably originally filled with enamel, and an 3-shaped pattern punched around 

 the edge between two concentric ribs ; also part of a bronze ring, small fragments of thin 

 brass plate, and a penannular ring of silver wire. [Sir J. Evans, Numis. Chron. (new ser. 

 1870), X, 125 seq. ; Herts. Nat. Hist. Soc. Trans. (1888-90), v, xxiv]. Some Roman coins have 

 been found at Patmore Hall and in Stocks Field, while a number of skeletons were discovered 

 in Longfield, associated with which was a small Roman coin [East Herts. Arch. Soc. Trans. 

 ii, 240]. For finds close to, see Northchurch, Tring and Wigginton. 

 Aldenham. — ' An immense quantity of broken Roman tiles and pottery at a uniform depth 

 of 4 or 5 ft. from the surface' was found in 1878 in excavations for a swimming bath 

 on the north side of the Grammar School on Boyden's Hill, a mile and a half south-east of 

 Aldenham and three-quarters of a mile west of Watling Street. It was thought to indicate 

 the site of a pottery, a suggestion not altogether impossible, since the Radlett kilns lie only 

 half a mile north-east. [Cussans, Hist, of Herts. Dacorum Hund. (1879), ^77 '^- See also 

 Radlett]. 

 Amwell. — A number of urns, said to be Roman, and quantities of Roman coins were found in 

 1847 near Great Amwell \'icarage, which stands in the centre of a mound or other earthwork, 

 formerly known as Barrow or Bury Field, above the valley of the New River. This was 

 excavated in 1848, and as no burials or other objects were found in it, it was thought to be 

 merely a beacon hill. Cussans states in 1876 that little then remained of it, the north and east 

 sides having been recently destroyed. It must not be confused with the Barrow Field near 

 Rush Green in Little Amwell parish, on the line of Ermine Street, I J miles west. \Journ. 

 Brit. .-irch. Assoc. (1848), iii, 324; Cussans, Hist, of Herts. Hertford Hund. (1876), 120]. 

 ' Extensive remains of urns, amphorae, &c., together with some of the moulds used,' were 

 found in digging for gravel in 1900, and were thought to indicate the site of a pottery kiln, 

 the necessary clay being found quite close. The exact site in the parish is not given. [Gerish, 

 East Herts. Arch. Soc. Trans, i (2), 185-6]. For other finds near, see Hoddesdon, Stanstead 

 Abbots and Ware. 

 Anstey. — Many small fragments of pottery, thought to be Roman, but perhaps mediaeval, were 

 found on the site of Anstey Castle, and some are now in the possession of Mr. R. T. Andrews 

 of Hertford. [East Herts. Arch. Soc. Trans, ii (2), 116; Inform, from Mr. Bullen]. 

 Arbury Banks. — See Ashwell. 



AsinvELL. — Several small finds have occurred at different times at Ashwell and in the neighbour- 

 hood, (i) The earthwork at Arbury Banks, half a mile south-west, is not Roman, though 

 Roman objects have been found in and near it. In the course of excavations undertaken here 

 much coarse pottery was turned up out of some circular pits in the centre. Camden and others 

 mention coins from here ; in 1820 were ploughed up Roman coins and pottery, and from one 

 vessel a bone die J-in. cube, with the pips marked by two concentric circles round a dot ; 

 and, lastly, an iron object — a lampholder or hippo sandal — from a pit 15 ft. deep near Arbury 

 Banks. For the earthwork, see Proc. Soc. of Antiq. (ser. i), iv, 285-90, hence V.C.H. Herts. 

 ii, 105-6; Camden, Brit. (ed. 1607), 290; Stukeley's Letters and Diaries (Surt. Soc. 1883), 

 ii, 192 ; Salmon, Hist, of Herts. (1728), 342-3 ; hence Camden, Brit. (ed. Gough, 1789), i, 

 342; and Reynolds, Itin. Antonini {17^), 421. For pottery &c., see Journ. Arch. 

 Inst, xiii, 287 ; xxii, 84. (2) Cussans mentions coins found in Caldecote Field, close to 

 Hinxworth and to the north-west of Arbury Banks, but this may refer to the burials, for which 

 see Hinxworth [Hist, of Herts. Odsey Hund. (1873), 23]. (3) In the autumn of 1876 at the 

 coprolite works at Ashwell End, close to the River Rhee and three-quarters of a mile north 

 of Ashwell, a hoard of over 500 well-preserved silver coins from Nero (a.d. 54-67) to Marcus 

 Aurelius (a.d. 161-80) was found. They were encrusted with rust, and were therefore 

 thought to have been inclosed in an iron vessel which had corroded (perhaps wood with iron 

 nails and bands). The earth around was full of calcined animal bones, pottery and 

 potsherds, a stone quern and some small copper coins extending to the end of the 

 Roman occupation. [Cussans, Hist, of Herts. Addenda to Odsey Hund. 316]. (4) Some 

 burials were turned up in 1824 in digging for gravel at Foxley Hill, near Slip End, close to 

 Icknield Street, 2 miles south-east of Ashwell. They included several skeletons, six or 

 seven Roman vessels, several black urns, one filled with bones and with a handle, a patella 

 stamped ' micvivs ' (perhaps Macrinus, Miccius or Miacnus), three lachrymatories and a 



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