Rodmarton

RODMARTON

(5 miles S.W. of Cirencester)

A Dobunnic gold stater inscribed BODVOC has been found in the parish. (fn. 1)

Two Roman coins, one of Claudius Gothicus, the 'head of a Roman spear' and a clenched iron nail were recovered from 'depressions' in the Neolithic long barrow, Rodmarton I (ST 933973). (fn. 2) A coin of Severus Alexander was found by J. Y. Akerman in a barrow near Hare's Down Barn (ST 955974). (fn. 3)

The Foss Way Roman road extends along the parish boundary at S.E.; a section exposed at Culkerton Wood (ST 950956) showed alternating layers of limestone flags and gravelly sand; the basal layer of flags appears to have been laid in a foundation trench. (fn. 4)

Vague crop-marks, apparently in some ways similar to those at Northleach with Eastington (3) appear on air photographs (Plate 66) at ST 928987. (fn. 5)

(1) Roman Villa (probably ST 94439843), 'Hocberry', excavated by Lysons in 1800, is part of a complex marked by debris covering about 4 acres in an arable field of this name, formerly in the open fields of the parish, about 450 ft. above O.D. A shallow combe with ponds near its head separates the site from Rodmarton village, ¼ mile to the S. Elsewhere the ground falls gently to S.E. and rises gently to N.W.

A slight 'shelf' about 100 ft. long, lying at the W. of an almost flat area of dark, discoloured soil, could be the site of Lysons' excavation. Building debris and tesserae, both coarse and fine, can be found on this shelf. Its axis falls a little west of north.

A tessellated pavement together with 2nd and 4th-century coins was found during ploughing, c. 1630. The excavations of 1800 suggested to Lysons that the rooms were constructed around a courtyard. Room N had pilae under the E. half. There were channelled hypocausts in K, F and D, with fragments of coarse tessellated pavement surviving above them. Tiles, one certainly flanged, were stamped TPFA, TPFC, and TPFP. A hoard of 200 4th-century 'copper' coins was found in a hypocaust, probably that of room N. Finds included an iron ring with an intaglio of Mars in blue paste. Some tiles are in the Corinium Museum; others, together with 'fragments of sculpture', are in the British Museum.

The site has been located by Mr. E.J. Swain. Copious surface finds include much limestone rubble marking the rough position of several buildings, sandstone, tegulae (but no stone-slates), and 2nd to 4th-century pottery with considerable quantities of samian. Records of all recent finds are in Gloucester City Museum; some finds are deposited in Stroud Museum.

Arch, XVIII (1817), 113–16. Lysons, Reliquiae, II (1817), Pt. i, Pl. VIII, No. 2, and Pl. IX. T. Morgan, Romano-British Mosaic Pavements (1886), 80.