Monument record 0435000000 - S OF WEST WYCOMBE ROAD

Summary

Roman inhumation cemetery found during construction of housing estate - Late Roman or early Medieval inhumation cemetery discovered in 1978. Fourteen inhumations were discovered on a building site at Portway Drive, West Wycombe Road, High Wycombe on 17th June 1978. Adult male and female and child burials were represented, laid east to west in the formal Christian tradition. No grave goods were found but at least two of the burials were in wooden coffins. Radiocarbon dates of 370+/- 190 have been obtained.

Protected Status/Designation

Archaeological Notification Area: Roman cemetery site found during construction of housing estate (DBC9880)

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Type and Period (1)

INHUMATION CEMETERY (4th Century - 300 AD to 399 AD) + Sci.Date

Description

13 BURIALS ALL ORIENTATED NW TO SE FOUND DURING DIGGING FOOTINGS FOR NEW HOUSING ESTATE S OF A40, 17 JUNE 1978. 2 MORE RELIABLY REPORTED FOUND EARLIER & A 16TH OBSERVED IN SECTION LATER 1978. TRACES OF COFFINS & NAILS. RADIOCARBON SUGGESTS C2 DATE (B1).
CORRECTION OF RADIOCARBON DATES - C4 AD (B3).

Fourteen inhumations were discovered on a building site at Portway Drive, West Wycombe Road, High Wycombe on 17th June 1978. Adult male and female and child burials were represented, laid east to west in the formal Christian tradition. No grave goods were found but at least two of the burials were in wooden coffins. M Farley (field archaeologist) of Bucks County Museum, Aylesbury believed that the inhumations formed part of a much larger burial ground although the exact period could not be determined; they could be late-Roman, mid-Saxon or early Medieval in date. The burials are now in the Bucks County Museum.

The building site at Portway Drive is centred SU 836945 (B4).

Inhumation cemetery at Portway Drive, West Wycombe. Radiocarbon dates revised to 370+/- 190. Full report (B2) Additional reference (B3)

NRHE Update 1999 (B5)

Sources (7)

<1>SBC4866 Article in serial: Michael Farley and Richard Wright. 1979. 'AN EARLY RB INHUMATION CEMETERY AT WEST WYCOMBE', IN RECS OF BUCKS 21 PP81-89. Vol 21.
<2>SBC10628 Unpublished document: Ordnance Survey Field Investigator. OS RECORD CARD.
<3>SBC17034 Unpublished document: WRIGHT R (DEPT OF ANTHROPOLOGY, UNIV OF SYDNEY) & FARLEY M E (BCM) MAY 1982 (SEE NOTES ETC FILED & RECS OF BUCKS 23 P129).
<4>SBC28106 Verbal communication: Richard Mead. 1978. Ordnance Survey Archaeology Recorder Comment - Richard Mead RM 04-JUL-78.
<4a>SBC28107 Serial: High Wycombe Observer. 1978. High Wycombe Observer - 23 June 1978.
<4b>SBC28108 Serial: Bucks Free Press. 1978. Bucks Free Press - 23 June 1978.
<5>SBC27441 Digital archive: Historic England. National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE).

Location

Grid reference	SU 8363 9447 (point)
Civil Parish	HIGH WYCOMBE, Wycombe, Buckinghamshire