Monument record 0086800000 - YEWDEN VILLA
Summary
Protected Status/Designation
- Archaeological Notification Area: Roman villa complex at Yewden, with associated buildings, field systems and trackways (DBC8650)
- Scheduled Monument 1014606: ROMAN VILLA NORTH OF YEWDEN LODGE (DBC7201)
- SHINE: Yewden Roman villa complex and associated field systems (DBC8286)
Map
Type and Period (12)
- VILLA (2nd Century to 4th Century - 100 AD to 399 AD)
- FINDSPOT (Iron Age to 1st Century Roman - 800 BC to 43 AD)
- BARN (2nd Century to 4th Century - 100 AD to 399 AD)
- BUILDING (2nd Century to 4th Century - 100 AD to 399 AD)
- CORN DRYING OVEN (2nd Century to 4th Century - 100 AD to 399 AD)
- DITCH (2nd Century to 4th Century - 100 AD to 399 AD)
- ENCLOSURE (2nd Century to 4th Century - 100 AD to 399 AD)
- FIELD SYSTEM (2nd Century to 4th Century - 100 AD to 399 AD)
- PIT (2nd Century to 4th Century - 100 AD to 399 AD)
- ROAD (2nd Century to 4th Century - 100 AD to 399 AD)
- WALL (2nd Century to 4th Century - 100 AD to 399 AD)
- TESSELLATED FLOOR (2nd Century to 4th Century - 100 AD to 399 AD)
Description
VILLA SITE, MID C1 TO END C4. MAIN AREA OF HOUSE & OUTBUILDINGS ENCLOSED BY FLINT WALL. ?EARLIER INDUSTRIAL AREA TO N. DITCHED RECTANGULAR ENCLOSURE TO E. OTHER BUILDINGS WEST OF VILLA (CASS 04557), & MILL END VILLA, ONLY 700M SE, MAY BE ASSOCIATED (CASS 00788). EXCAVATED BY A H COCKS, 1912 (B1-9).
SCHEDULED: SAM 27160 (B21).
Included in English Heritage's Heritage at Risk Register 2009, 2011, 2015-2024. Condition described as 'Extensive significant problems ie under plough, collapse' with the principal vulnerability from arable ploughing and trend as declining. In 2017-2019 condition described as 'Generally unsatisfactory with major localised problems' with the principal vulnerability from arable ploughing and trend as stable. In 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 condition described as 'Generally unsatisfactory with major localised problems' with the principal vulnerability from arable ploughing and trend as declining. In 2024 the trend was described as improving. Priority assessed as category A: No action/strategy identified or agreed (B23,B28,B30,B32-34,B36-41).
Community archaeology project from 2008 to 2010 to re-evaluate evidence from Cocks' excavation and to gather additional information from the vicinity of the villa by fieldwalking and metal-detecting surveys, geophysics and woodland surveys (B27).
(SU 78498552) Roman Villa ® (Site of) (NAT) (B42)
A Romano-British homestead built before the mid-1st century and occupied until the end of the 4th, comprising four buildings with an enclosure wall. (See plan. Siting description approximates to symbol on 0S 6"). The principal dwelling house, 92 x 82 ft, was of the double corridor type; the large number of furnaces found suggest that the establishment was engaged in corn production on a large scale. Three adult and 97 infant burials were discovered; and some 800 coins (including a hoard) ranged from Claudius I (41-54) to Arcadius (383-408) in addition to one Iron Age coin. Other finds included much pottery (including terra sigillata) ornaments, animal bones etc. (B43)
Finds are on display at Aylesbury Museum (B44).
SU 785855 The earliest house erected in the mid-1st century was possibly of only four rooms. In its final form it was a tripartite villa standing within an enclosure. Within the yard were two 'basilican' buildings, a third small outhouse (possibly a granary) and more than a dozen corn-ovens (B45).
(SU 78398554) No ground trace in an area of crop located at the exposed south end of a broad valley about 300.0m from the River Thames. A reconstructed portion of tesselated pavement from the villa, (1920 excavation) is housed in the Old Hambleden Museum (SU78858618). Villa site plotted at 1:2500 from A Cocks excavation plan (B46).
"7885. SU 78 NE. Area centred SU785856. HAMBLEDEN. Complex of enclosures, pits and linear feature. To W Roman villa (40m x 30m) and parts of two associated rectangular buildings. To E at 786855 further linear features or enclosures, NMR 70 SU 7885/3,5" (47)
Hambleden villa. Photographed from air and planned on ground in summer 1976. (B48)
Aerial photographic mapping in 1993 revealed that the buildings excavated by Cocks (described in authorities 1-4) are part of an extensive complex of buildings and fields arranged alongside a paved road. It seems likely that this was more than a villa complex: traces of at least 21 buildings have been recorded, all with stone foundations. The site lies immediately to the W of, and is probably associated with, another extensive Roman roadside settlement and field system (SU 78 NE 48) at the S end of a small valley, and both sites ate 350m-400m from the River Thames. Another villa is located 750m to the SE at Mill End (SU 78 SE 4).
The excavated buildings, including the main villa (SU 7839 8555; Morph No. TG.363.5.4) and two barns or workshops (SU 7842 8548; Morph No. TG.363.5.5 and SU 7844 8559; Morph No. TG.363.5.6), one with an annex (SU 7843 8558; Morph No. TG.363.5.7), are located to the S of a paved road (SU 7835 8563; Morph No. TG.363.5.1) which runs E-W for c.450m. The building with the annex lies immediately adjacent to the road, with traces of at least four further buildings being recorded to the E on both sides of the road (group centred at SU 7851 8558; Morph Nos. TG.363.5.22-23, TG.363.5.27-28).
An ordered group of buildings appears c.300m to the W of the villa, on both sides of the road (group centred at SU 7825 8568; Morph No. TG.363.5.9-20). This group appears to be separated from the villa buildings by a rather fragmentary possible boundary ditch (SU 7831 8563; Morph No. TG.363.5.24 and SU 7829 8556; Morph No. TG.363.5.25).
About 100m W of the end of the paved road a further large building, possibly aisled (SU 7802 8569; Morph No. TG.363.5.30) and an adjacent small building or possible annex (SU 7800 8568; Morph No. TG.363.19.1) were recorded from very poor air photographs.
Traces of a possible N-S track, including a paved section, were recorded to the W of the complex (SU 7812 8554; Morph No. TG.363.5.2 and SU 7818 8543; Morph No. TG.363.5.3).
A small field system was recorded to the N of the E-W road, opposite the main villa buildings (SU 7846 8568; Morph No. TG.363.5.29).
This description is based on data from the RCHME MORPH2 database.
(B49)
Sources (56)
- ---SBC21164 Aerial Photograph: RCHM (NMR). 1990. 1990 RCHM (NMR) Oblique AP. SU786854. Yes.
- ---SBC27441 Digital archive: Historic England. National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE). Insert 1997, Update 1999.
- ---SBC27453 Aerial Photograph: 1993. RCHME: Thames Valley NMP, SU 78 NE.
- ---SBC27461 Cartographic materials: Ordnance Survey. 1983. Ordnance Survey: Portfolios.
- ---SBC27462 Cartographic materials: Plan of the Roman villa at Mill End, Hambleden, Buckinghamshire.
- ---SBC27463 Serial: Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies. 1983. Britannia : a journal of Romano-British and kindred studies Volume 14 inc. consolidated index for volumes 1-25 (1970-1994).
- <1>SBC3070 Article in serial: Alfred Heneage Cocks. 1921. 'A ROMANO-BRITISH HOMESTEAD IN THE HAMBLEDEN VALLEY', IN ARCHAEOLOGIA 71 PP141-198. Vol 71.
- <2>SBC20466 Bibliographic reference: Royal Commision on Historical Monuments. 1912. Historical Monuments in Buckinghamshire. Volume 1. p181.
- <3>SBC13219 Article in serial: RECS OF BUCKS 10 1912-13 PP131,183.
- <4>SBC6871 Article in serial: JOURNAL OF ROMAN STUDIES 11 1921 P215.
- <5>SBC1692 Article in serial: 1925. BERKS, BUCKS & OXON ARCH. JNL 29 P81. Vol 29.
- <6>SBC1836 Article in serial: Keith Branigan. 1968. 'ROMANO BRITISH RURAL SETTLEMENT IN THE WEST CHILTERNS', IN ARCHAEOLOGICAL JNL 124 P152. Vol 124.
- <7>SBC11093 Unpublished document: Ordnance Survey Field Investigator. OS RECORD CARD SU 78 NE 12 (FILED).
- <8>SBC1877 Article in serial: Mike Farley (BCM). 1983. NOTE IN BRITANNIA 14 PP256-259. Vol 14.
- <9>SBC900 Unpublished document: BCM ACCESSIONS & LOANS REGISTERS.
- <10>SBC4354 Verbal communication: DR GRACE SIMPSON, OXFORD, TO M E FARLEY FEB 1979.
- <11>SBC9260 Verbal communication: MR BOWDEN TO M E FARLEY APRIL 1979.
- <12>SBC9331 Unpublished document: MR M R BIRD & M E FARLEY, SEPT 1979 (& SEE LIST OF FINDS & PHOTOS FILED).
- <13>SBC2258 Unpublished document: County Museum Archaeological Group. CMAG CATALOGUE OF HAMBLEDEN IRONWORK.
- <14>SBC467 Graphic material: Denise Allen (BCM). AP 1-9. PLOT AT 1:2500 (NMR METHOD) (PLOT FILED).
- <15>SBC5581 Bibliographic reference: T Gates. 1975. MIDDLE THAMES VALLEY: ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE RIVER GRAVELS P42 & MAP 21.
- <16>SBC5529 Verbal communication: G E SCRIMGFOUR, FROM B14, JUNE 1988.
- <17>SBC6893 Unpublished document: Arthur Keith. Undated. 'REPORT ON THE HUMAN REMAINS DISCOVERED...DURING EXCAVATIONS OF THE ROMAN SITE AT YEWDEN, HAMBLEDEN.
- <18>SBC638 Bibliographic reference: ASHMOLEAN MUSEUM & M E FARLEY, 1978.
- <19>SBC4331 Unpublished document: DR C E KING, ASHMOLEAN MUSEUM, OXFORD, OCT 1983/BCM COIN CATALOGUE.
- <20>SBC7097 Article in serial: D King. 1986. 'PETROLOGY, DATING & DISTRIBUTION OF QUERNS & MILLSTONES', IN UNIV LONDON INSTITUTE OF ARCHAEOLOGY BULLETIN 23 PP65-126.
- <21>SBC23998 Scheduling record: English Heritage. 1996. SCHEDULING LISTS OF INSPECTORATE OF ANCIENT MONUMENTS.
- <22>XYSBC13178 Unpublished document: RCHM(E). 1995. The Thames Valley Project: a Report for the National Mapping Programme. [Mapped feature: #1148 Polygon based on area defined on old SMR 1:10,000 OS quarter sheet map, ]
- <23>SBC23453 Bibliographic reference: English Heritage. 2009. Heritage at Risk Register 2009: South East. p30.
- <24>SBC23527 Unpublished document: Simon Mays. October 2008. Romans in the Hambleden Valley Project.
- <25>SBC24017 Article in serial: Simon Mays & Jill Eyers. 2011. 'Perinatal Infant Death at the Roman Villa Site at Hambleden', in Journal of Archaeological Science 38 pp1931-1938. Vol 38.
- <26>SBC24018 Article in serial: Jill Eyers & Simon Mays. 2011. 'Infanticide in Roman Britain?: The Yewden Villa Babies', in Current Archaeology 260 pp28-33. Issue 260.
- <27>SBC24001 Bibliographic reference: J E Eyers (ed). 2011. Romans in the Hambleden Valley: Yewden Roman Villa.
- <28>SBC24032 Bibliographic reference: English Heritage. 2011. Heritage at Risk Register 2011: South East. p26.
- <29>SBC24373 Article in serial: Agnieszka Tomas. 2013. 'Armia rzymska i prostytucja – mit czy rzeczywistość?', in Archeo U W (Journal of the University of Warsaw, Institute of Archaeology). No 1.
- <30>SBC24601 Digital archive: Historic England. 2015. Heritage at Risk Register 2015.
- <31>SBC24733 Article in serial: Simon Mays. 2014. The baby burials at Yewden Roman Villa - English Heritage Research News 21, September 2014.
- <32>SBC24775 Digital archive: Historic England. 2016. Heritage at Risk Register 2016. p8.
- <33>SBC24932 Digital archive: Historic England. 2017. Heritage at Risk Register 2017.
- <34>SBC25083 Digital archive: Historic England. 2018. Heritage at Risk Register 2018.
- <35>SBC24859 Bibliographic reference: David S Neal and Stephen R Cosh. 2009. Roman Mosaics of Britain Volume III: South-east Britain Part 1.
- <36>SBC25245 Digital archive: Historic England. 2019. Heritage at Risk Register 2019. p133.
- <37>SBC25497 Digital archive: Historic England. 2020. Heritage at Risk Register 2020.
- <38>SBC25511 Digital archive: Historic England. 2021. Heritage at Risk Register 2021.
- <39>SBC25896 Digital archive: Historic England. 2022. Heritage at Risk Register 2022.
- <40>SBC26583 Digital archive: Historic England. 2023. Heritage at Risk Register 2023.
- <41>SBC26954 Digital archive: Historic England. 2024. Heritage at Risk Register 2024.
- <42>SBC27454 Map: 1960. Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date). Map.
- <43>SBC27455 Bibliographic reference: Society of Antiquaries of London. 1921. Archaeologia : or miscellaneous tracts relating to antiquity. Volume 71. p141-198, Plate XIII, AO60/136/4, AO60/136/5.
- <44>SBC27456 Verbal communication: C F Wardale (Ordnance Survey Field Investigator). 1960. Field Investigators Comments.
- <45>SBC27447 Article in monograph: Royal Archaeological Institute. 1967. The Archaeological Journal Includes supplements to vols. 105 & 106.. p152.
- <46>SBC27457 Verbal communication: J R Linge. 1974. Field Investigators Comments.
- <47>SBC27458 Bibliographic reference: Timothy Gates. 1975. The Middle Thames Valley : an archaeological survey of the river gravels. p42.
- <48>SBC27459 Bibliographic reference: CBA Group 9. 1976. Council for British Archaeology Group 9: South Midlands archaeology newsletter. p19.
- <49>SBC27460 Verbal communication: RCHME. 1993. RCHME/EH/HE Aerial Photographers comment.
- <50>SBC27450 Bibliographic reference: Eleanor Scott. 1993. A gazetteer of Roman villas in Britain. p27, BU 37.
Location
Grid reference | Centred SU 78375 85615 (344m by 349m) (2 map features) |
---|---|
Civil Parish | HAMBLEDEN, Wycombe, Buckinghamshire |
Finds (1)
- COIN (Iron Age to 1st Century Roman - 800 BC to 43 AD)
Related Monuments/Buildings (16)
- Parent of: YEWDEN VILLA (Find Spot) (0086800001)
- Parent of: YEWDEN VILLA (Find Spot) (0086800002)
- Parent of: YEWDEN VILLA (Find Spot) (0086800003)
- Parent of: YEWDEN VILLA (Find Spot) (0086800004)
- Parent of: YEWDEN VILLA (Monument) (0086800100)
- Parent of: YEWDEN VILLA (Monument) (0086800200)
- Parent of: YEWDEN VILLA (Monument) (0086800300)
- Parent of: YEWDEN VILLA (Monument) (0086800400)
- Parent of: YEWDEN VILLA (Monument) (0086805000)
- Parent of: YEWDEN VILLA (Monument) (0086806000)
- Parent of: YEWDEN VILLA (Monument) (0086810000)
- Parent of: YEWDEN VILLA (Monument) (0086820000)
- Parent of: YEWDEN VILLA: 1ST HOUSE (Monument) (0086801000)
- Parent of: YEWDEN VILLA: 2ND HOUSE (Monument) (0086802000)
- Parent of: YEWDEN VILLA: 4TH HOUSE (Monument) (0086804000)
- Parent of: YEWDEN VILLA:3RD HOUSE (Monument) (0086803000)
Related Events/Activities (3)
- Event - Survey: Aerial photography (EBC119)
- Event - Survey: Fieldwalking (Ref: HAM08) (EBC17236)
- Event - Intervention: YEWDEN OR HAMBLEDEN VILLA - Excavation (Ref: 641396) (EBC1000)
Record last edited
Jun 6 2025 12:25PM