BEDDINGTON IN THE ROMAN PERIOD. 



the irrigation fields to the east of Beddington Park. The walls were 

 composed of large flints, and flat Roman bricks set in mortar. The 

 bricks were from i| to 2^ inches in thickness and 10 inches square. 



Mr. Addy states, in a paper read before the Society of Antiquaries : 

 "By reference to the plan, it will be seen that the buildings extend east 

 and west from the large central chamber, the walls of which are more 

 regular and thicker than any of the others, and probably this was the 

 principal apartment of the building. This. chamber was 16 feet by 10. 

 At the east of this principal chamber was a rectangular apartment with 

 the remains of a hypocaust for warming the building. The supports 

 of the flooring of the hypocaust were clearly exposed, and are shown 

 accurately on the plan." 



To the north of this principal chamber a recess existed, and to the 

 west, outer and partition walls, of a rougher construction, were uncovered, 

 and are figured in the plan. The floor was paved with square bricks ; 

 but no trace of tesselated pavement was found. 



The remains of the walls were 2 ft. below the surface of the ground ; 

 and the walls remaining were i ft. 9 in. from the foundation. 



Amongst the debris were large quantities of plaster, marked in 

 coloured bands from \ inch to 2 inches, chiefly of a crimson colour; 

 sometimes, however, the stripes were sepia-coloured, and occasionally 

 pieces were found coloured with yellow pigment. Large quantities of 

 portions of flue tiles were found, showing the action of fire. 



Various specimens of pottery of different kinds were discovered, 

 and one piece, supposed by the learned to be 

 unique, was marked with inden- 

 tations as though impressed by 

 shells (fig. 5). Only two coins were 

 found in the building, — one a 

 Roman coin, with Romulus and 

 Remus on the reverse, the other 

 a Saxon silver penny. A bronze bead (fig. 6) 

 was also discovered in the dibris of the building. The foundations 

 of the Roman house are now covered; but we may hope that the 



B 2 



Fig. 6. 



Fig. 5- 



