ROMANO-BRITISH NOTTINGHAMSHIRE 



In 1890 two red earthenware vessels, about 4 in. high, resembling small amphorae, were 

 found in a ditch between Warser Gate and Carlton Street, and appear to be Roman ; they 

 are now in the Castle Museum [Proc. Soc. Antiq. (Ser. 2), xiv, 24 ; Ant'iq. xxv, 127]. A 

 Roman (?) lance-head from excavations in the town was shown at an exhibition in 1899 

 {Thoroton Soc. Trans, iii, 50, no. 349]. 



Gale identified Nottingham with Causennae of the Itinerary, and maintained that its caves 

 were the work of the Romans, a theory revived 150 years later by Mr. Dutton Walker [Iter. 

 Anton. Brit. 95 ; Thoroton, Hist, of Notts, (ed. Throsby), ii, 7 fF. ; Deering, Nottinghamia Vet. 

 et Nov. App. 286 ; Proc. Soc. Antiq. (Ser. 2), viii, 75 ff. ; Briscoe, 0/d Notts. (Ser. i), 118 fF.]. 

 The latter found traces of a sepulcrum commune and a columbarium in two of the caves, one of 

 which still showed from 150 to 160 cells for the reception of cinerary urns. 



Stevenson states that Nottingham was intersected by a Roman road leading from Leicester 

 to York, 'known here as Stoney Street' [Bygone Notts. 41]. For this, of course, there is 

 absolutely no authority, nor is there any adequate reason for regarding Nottingham as a place 

 of Roman occupation. 



OsEERTON. — In December 1853 a pot containing 940 bronze coins of the emperors of the Constan- 

 tine family was dug up near the third milestone from Worksop. The coins are now in 

 Mr. Foljambe's possession at the Hall [White, Worksop, 98 ; Arch. Journ. xliii, 37 ; Thoroton 

 Soc. Trans, v, 11]. See also Babworth. 



For the Roman altar now preserved at Osberton Hall see p. 22, under Littleborough. 



OxTON. — A camp in this parish (O.S. 6-in. xxxiii, NE.) is described by Major Rooke, under the 

 name of ' Oldox ' (i.e. * Old Works '), as a ' small exploratory camp, very perfect,' with a 

 double ditch 154 yds. long on its north-eastern side. From its shape it would appear to be a 

 hill-fortress of British origin (type B), but it may have been occupied by the Romans [Arch, 

 ix, 201, pi. II ; X, 381 ff., pis. 34 D, 35 ; Journ. Brit. Arch. Assoc. \\\\, 185-8 ; Arch. Journ, 

 xliii, 40 ; V.C.H. Notts, i, 298]. Rooke also examined another 'ancient work,' 314 yds. by 

 67 yds., with ditch and vallum still recognizable on the north and west sides, in a field called 

 ' Lonely Grange,' about half a mile east of Oldox. This, too, he regarded as Roman, and its 

 form appears to be more rectangular than that of Oldox [O.S. xxxiii, NE. and xxxiv, NW. -y 

 Arch. X, 379, pi. 34 B. ; V.C.H. Notts, i, 303, described as of type C]. 



At both places coins were found, but quite defaced. In 1765 a vessel full of Roman 

 coins, some 'of a scarce class,' was dug up at Robin Hood's Pot (now Robin Hood Hill) 

 [Bailey, Ann. of Notts, iii, 1277 ; Arch. Journ. xliii, 39]. 



Plumtree. — ^A considerable nunjber of Roman coins found in this parish were seen by Deering 

 before 1751, but he gives no details [Nottinghamia Vetus et Nova, 287 ; Thoroton, Hist, of 

 Notts, (ed. Throsby), ii, 11]. 



Ragnall. — There are traces of a Roman encampment at Whimpton Moor, where a stone cofKn con- 

 taining a skeleton, with another skeleton beside it, was found in 1 834, and remains of foundations 

 of buildings are said still to exist [Nott. Daily Guardian, 16 Mar. 1877; Arch. Journ. xliii, 41], 



RuFFORD. — This place is stated to have been ' anciently a Roman encampment ' [Kelly, Dir, 

 1904, p. 522]. It is, at all events, close to a possible Roman road (see p. 10). 



Saxondale. See Shelford. 



ScAFTWORTH. — Fragments of pottery and part of a spear were found in 1750. Some ancient 

 intrenchments, visible at the close of the i8th century, were supposed, in consequence of this dis- 

 , covery, to be the remains of a Roman station on the branch of Ermine Street leading from Little- 



borough to Doncaster, but they belong to a British fortress (type B) [Thoroton (ed. Throsby), 

 Hist, of Notts, iii, 323; Bailey, Ann. of Notts, iii, 1250 ; Arch. Journ. xliii, 36; Lewis,, 

 Topog. Diet. ; V.C.H. Notts, i, 303]. 



Scarle, South. — A piece of rough earthenware, supposed to have formed part of the rim of a. 

 Roman urn, was found opposite the church in 1865. Foundations of buildings are frequently 

 met with in the village [Wake, Hist, of Collingham, 53]. 



SCROOBY.— A 'Roman bank' mentioned here [V.C.H. Notts, i, 313], is apparently identical with 

 the supposed camp at Har worth [v. supra]. 



Selston. — About 1830 an earthenware vase containing Roman silver coins was found 18 in. below 

 the surface, in a field. The coins were well preserved, and covered the period from Nero to 

 Trajan (a.d. 54-1 17). There were also some Republican coins, and a counterfeit coin of the 

 reign of Vespasian (a.d. 70-79) [Lewis, Topog. Diet, of Engl. ; Nott. Daily Guardian, 16 Mar. 

 1877 > ^''ch. Journ. xliii, 39]. 



Shelford.— At Saxondale, which is now part of this parish, the compiler of Magna Britannia 

 (1727) states that Roman (?) stone coffins have been found. They are more likely to be from 

 the site of the old parish church, destroyed in the reign of Henry VIII [Magna Brit, iv, 53]. 



Shireoaks. See Worksop. 



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