Monument record 0141600000 - MOUNT WOOD

Summary

Late Iron Age to Roman farmstead excavated in Mount Wood - Excavations uncovered the site of a Roman building, of post-hole construction with a tiled roof, a corn drying oven and 3rd century finds including pottery, coins, brooches, rings and an infant burial. Interpreted by the excavator as an outbuilding of the Roman villa to the north (TQ 09 NW 11); however the fact there is a river valley between these two sites and the distance between them is around 400 metres suggests that this building may be a separate entity and if it was an outbuilding the main structure may be in the vicinty; this structure has been listed as the possible site of a Roman villa.

Protected Status/Designation

Archaeological Notification Area: Iron Age to Roman farmstead partly excavated in 1972 (DBC9208)

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Type and Period (1)

FARMSTEAD (Late Iron Age to 5th Century Roman - 100 BC to 409 AD)

Description

SITE FOUND BY G.COOPER (B1-3), HIS FINDS & OTHERS LISTED HERE (00:001-5).
EXCAVATION BY R DUNNET 1972 (:01) & SUBSEQUENT FINDS FROM SITE (:02) ALSO. EXCAVATION REPORT PUBLISHED; FINDS ILLUS & DISCUSSED (B19-20).

TQ 025988. A site from which pottery and a coin of Hadrian, had been collected over the years. A training excavation was conducted by Miss R Dunnett with the Chess Valley Arch Soc in 1972. Post holes representing a possible hut and a roofing tile were found. In a gravel floor W of the hut was a large corn drying oven, with a long tile lined flue. An infant burial was found to the S. Third century pottery, coins and also brooches and rings were found. Interpreted as an outbuilding of the nearby villa (at TQ 026992 - TQ 09 NW 11). (B2, B4, B6 and B8).
The excavation site plan (attached) indicates the position at TQ 02519880. No further finds have been made. An excavation report is pending (B22).
BU 20 Listed as the possible site of a Roman villa (B23)

This record includes National Record of the Historic Environment Information provided by Historic England on 4 June 2025 licensed under the Open Government Licence.

Sources (24)

<1>SBC1335 Bibliographic reference: BCM CAS RECORD CARD 1416.
<2>SBC3177 Article in serial: G Cooper. 1945. 'ROMAN VESTIGIA NEAR CHENIES', IN NOTES, RECC OF BUCKS 14 P240. Vol 14.
<3>SBC3208 Unpublished document: G Cooper. CORRESPONDENCE FROM G.COOPER TO J.HEAD (INCLUDING SKETCH MAP) CONCERNING SITE.
<4>SBC1821 Article in serial: Keith Branigan. 1967. 'THE DISTRIBUTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF ROMANO-BRITISH OCCUPATION IN THE CHESS VALLEY', IN RECS OF BUCKS 18 PP136-149. Vol 18.
<5>SBC1304 Unpublished document: BCM ACCESSIONS REGISTERS:197.67, 168.76, 114.1982.
<6>SBC491 Article in serial: 1970. 'ARCHAEOLOGICAL NOTES FROM THE BUCKINGHAMSHIRE COUNTY MUSEUM', IN RECORDS OF BUCKINGHAMSHIRE 18, Part 5, P437-441. Vol 18, Part 5. p439.
<7>SBC5774 Article in serial: Christopher Gowing. 1971. 'ARCHAEOLOGICAL NOTES FROM THE BUCKINGHAMSHIRE COUNTY MUSEUM', IN RECS OF BUCKS 19 P94. Vol 19.
<8>SBC5181 Article in serial: Mike Farley. 1972. 'ARCHAEOLOGICAL NOTES FROM THE BUCKINGHAMSHIRE COUNTY MUSEUM', IN RECS OF BUCKS 19 P219. Vol 19.
<9>SBC4435 Unpublished document: 1972. DUNNET R. INTERIM REPORT, MOUNT WOOD 1972.
<10>SBC3322 Article in serial: Chess Valley Archaeological & Historical Society. 1973. CVAHS FIELD SURVEY REPORT, CVAHS NEWSLETTER PP6-7.
<11>SBC16764 Article in serial: D R Wilson et al. 1973. 'ROMAN BRITAIN IN 1972: MOUNT WOOD' IN BRITANNIA 4 PP271-337, P298. Vol 4.
<12>SBC9921 Article in serial: 1973. NIBLETT R AND MARTIN I L 1973 'MOUNT WOOD, CHESHAM, BUCKS', IN CBA GROUP 9 NEWSLETTER 3 P17.
<13>SBC4393 Graphic material: DRAWINGS OF ROMAN POTTERY FROM 1972 EXCAVATION AT MOUNT WOOD (CAS ENVELOPE FILE 1416).
<14>SBC10023 Unpublished document: Ordnance Survey Field Investigator. OS RECORD CARD TQ 09 NW16.
<15>SBC7936 Unpublished document: 1975. LIST OF METAL OBJECTS FOUND BY MR J.TAIT AND OTHER 1975 (CAS ENVELOPE FILE 1416).
<16>SBC11864 Graphic material: Stan and Pauline Cauvain. 1975. PHOTOS OF METAL DETECTOR FINDS 1975 AND DRAWINGS OF SAME.
<17>SBC7933 Unpublished document: LIST OF COINS FOUND BY MR TAIT IN MOUNT WOOD AREA (CAS ENVELOPE FILE 1416).
<18>SBC3212 Unpublished document: CORRESPONDENCE RELATING TO 1972 EXCAVATION, BETWEEN ME FARLEY AND B A STAINTON.
<19>SBC4434 Article in serial: Rosalind Dunnet. 1985. 'EXCAVATIONS NEAR MOUNT WOOD, CHENIES', IN RECS OF BUCKS 27 PP107-118. Vol 27.
<20>SBC2625 Article in serial: Pauline and Stan Cauvain. 1987. 'ROMANO-BRITISH FINDS IN THE AREA OF MOUNT WOOD AND VALLEY FARM, SARRATT', IN JOURNAL OF CHESS VALLEY ARCH & HIST SOC PP12-22.
<21>SBC20011 Unpublished document: Archaeological Services & Consultancy Ltd. 2001. Chilterns Chalk Streams Project: Chess & Misbourne Valleys - Archaeological Assessment.
<22>SBC28384 Verbal communication: N K Blood. 1974. Field Investigators Comments - F1 NKB 08-OCT-74.
<23>SBC27450 Bibliographic reference: Eleanor Scott. 1993. A gazetteer of Roman villas in Britain.
<24>SBC27441 Digital archive: Historic England. National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE). Insert 1998; Update 2004.

Location

Grid reference	Centred TQ 02508 98822 (139m by 80m)
Civil Parish	CHENIES, Chiltern, Buckinghamshire

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (10)

Related Events/Activities (4)

Event - Intervention: (EBC13295)
Event - Survey: (EBC13669)
Event - Survey: (EBC1432)
Event - Intervention: Excavation: MOUNT WOOD (EBC12286)

Record last edited

Apr 10 2026 2:19PM