Monument record 0086900000 - N OF YEWDEN

Plan Form - RECTILINEAR
LINEAR FEATURES OR ENCLOSURES NOTED & PLOTTED (B1).
AP'S SHOW PART OF ENCLOSURE IN S OF FIELD WITH ANOTHER PARTIAL ENCLOSURE INSIDE. BOTH SHAPED LIKE HALF OF A SQUARE, LARGEST 50M LONG, INTERNAL 35M LONG. POSSIBLY ASSOCIATED WITH VILLA [CASS 00868] IMMEDIATELY TO W. PLOTTED (B2).
Large complex of cropmarks plotted by RCHME as part of the Thames Valley mapping project, including a N-S ditched droveway or trackway, field boundary ditches, pits, a possible ditched settlement enclosure with internal features and sub-divisions, and apparently associated with the villa complex to the west (B5).
SAM 27160/02-03 (B4).
Geophysical survey of the cropmark complex by Chiltern Archaeology and local volunteers in 2008 as part of the 'Romans in the Hambleden Valley Project' confirmed the presence of a double-ditched ?temple enclosure, field boundary ditches, pits, trackways and small ditched enclosures, as well as a former course of the Hambleden Brook. Metal-detecting survey of non-scheduled area of Horseleys Field located finds of iron nails, pottery and a fragment of decorated glassware at depths of 20cm to 50cm; the finds were concentrated near a doubled ditched enclosure identified in geophysical survey (B6).
Further geophysical survey carried out in July 2009 by English Heritage and project volunteers confirmed the presence of the two enclosures and trackway identified on aerial photographs and identified internal features, possibly pits, quarries or industrial features. No evidence was found for the supposed double-ditched temple enclosure, only an indistinct cluster of anomalies in this part of the field. See report for detail (B7).

An extensive settlement, probably of Roman date, was seen as cropmarks and mapped from good quality air photographs. The settlement is located along the floor of a narrow valley between the village of Hambleden (to the N) and a great bend in the River Thames.

A Roman road runs N-S along the valley and is visible for 700m: the N part of the road is defined by ditches (SU 7857 8571; Morph No. TG.363.12.4), while at the S end metalling can be seen for 330m (SU 7856 8547; Morph No. TG.363.12.5).

To the E of the road, an ordered field system comprising regular rectilinear units extends for more than 1km (Centred at SU 7865 8607; Morph No. TG.363.12.1). The field system is between 110m and 150m wide, with units ranging between 100m and 200m long. Although extensive, the pattern is somewhat fragmentary, and smaller subdivisions are also present within field units, suggesting more than one phase of development. The bulk of the field system appears to lie to the E of the road, although a few related ditches have also been recorded to the W (SU 7851 8581; Morph No. TG.363.12.6).
Similar, possibly related, enclosures have also been recorded 3km farther N along the valley (SU 78 NE 42).

Short lengths of trackway, showing evidence of metalled surfaces, can be seen on the sloping valley side to the E of the field system, apparently linking the fields (or the valley) and the higher ground to the E (SU 7873 8607; Morph No. TG.363.12.3) (SU 7884 8570; Morph No. TG.363.12.15) (SU 7897 8572; Morph No. TG.363.12.16).

A large rectangular enclosure at a central position within the field system (SU 7862 8571; Morph No. TG.363.12.10) has a N-facing entrance and appears to contain a smaller, double ditched enclosure or structure with a W-facing entrance (SU 7865 8573; Morph No. TG.363.12.11). The inner, double ditched inclosure is 45m by at least 30m overall and the larger outer enclosure is 90m by at least 80m and possibly as much as 120m. The impression is of a large
building within an enclosure, representing a feature of some importance.

Adjacent to the SW corner of the large enclosure described above is a ditch-defined hexagonal feature 12m across with a central pit (SU 7862 8567; Morph No. TG.363.12.17-18) whose form is very reminiscent of a temple or shrine.

The whole complex of field system, roads, building and temple occupies a good position within the valley near the River Thames, and must be associated in some way with the Hambleden villa complex immediately to the W (SU 78 NE 5), and probably also with the villa at Mill End (SU 78 SE 4) less than 1km to the S, on the bank of the River Thames.

This description is based on data from the RCHME MORPH2 database. (B8)

NRHE link to CAS00868, 04557, 00788, 15657, 00869.