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THE WILTSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND NATURAL HISTORY MAGAZINE 



SA^lSgof)--j 



Fig. Al. Location of various trenches dug in the 1960s 



seemed very likely that the parch-mark was the true 

 line of the Roman road. John Stratton decided to 

 see if this could be demonstrated by excavation. 



A trial trench (A) was cut in the meadow, across 

 the parch-mark at the western side of the Stratford 

 Road at SU 1346180 (Figure Al). The siting of 

 this trench proved to be unfortunate. The new line 

 for the Roman road was confirmed by the sectioning 

 of the road agger. This however was rather disturbed 

 through its proximity to the modern road and by 

 the fact that it had formed the foundation for a 

 minor 13th/14th century building (Musty 1958, 

 471). 



In October 1964 permission was obtained to 

 cut a trench across the parch-mark line at the 

 eastern edge of the playing field used by the 

 Salisbury Theological College. This, trench (B) was 

 on the Old Sarum side of the Stratford Road at SU 

 13603199. At a depth of 0.38m below the present 

 ground surface was a layer of fine rolled flint 

 overlying a layer of large flints which were in turn 

 bedded in more fine gravel. Below this there was 



another layer of large flints set directly on the river 

 gravel subsoil. The agger survived 0.41m in height 

 and 6.40m wide. On either side were large flints 

 forming a kerb to prevent the agger material 

 spreading. Outside the kerbs were small side ditches 

 0.38m wide and 0.28m deep. An unabraded samian 

 sherd was found in one of the ditches. The width of 

 the road including the ditches was 7. 16m. The road 

 surface had been lost through ploughing activity 

 so there was no evidence of rutting or wear. 

 Adjacent to the road on the NNW side was a corner 

 of a Romano-British building with knapped flint 

 walls and dressed ashlar quoins. From the 

 associated finds (pottery, ironwork, iron? slag, 

 plaster and animal bones, etc.) it has been possible 

 to date the structure to the 3rd/4th century. The 

 building foundations were in part across one of the 

 side ditches so that it clearly post-dated the 

 construction of the road. Excavations in 1977 

 subsequently investigated the building further. At 

 present it is impossible to say when the road went 

 out of use (Stratton 1960, 138) 



