Monument record 0145700000 - MONEYBURY HILL, PITSTONE

SAM 51 (B2).
MAP REF ON SCHEDULING NOTICE IS WRONG; SCHEDULING MAP SHOWS APPROX RIGHT AREA OF SITE (B3);
SITE BETWEEN SP971131 & SP970133; POSITION OF WALLING/CENTRE OF 1937 EXCAVS CONFIRMED AT NGR. EXCAV INCOMPLETE & NO FORMAL REPORT. CALLED A TEMPLE MAINLY BECAUSE IS NEAR TO A BARROW (CASS 01446)(B1).



"Hertfordshire: Dr Norman Davey uncovered an 18ft length of wall foundation, 18ins wide, with returns at each end, associated with tiles, tesserae and six coins ranging from Hadrian to Allectus, the last on a floor indicating a house or temple, on Moneybury Hill on the Ashridge estate NW (sic, NE intended) of Aldbury and on the Buckinghamshire border" close by the hoard of coins found in 1870 (SP 91 SE 2). The account and the coin-hoard find suggests a site for it at circa SP 971131. As the building remains are said to be close to this, on Moneybury Hill, and in Hertfordshire on the Bucks border, the site must be at about SP 970133 (B1).
Mr C.L Matthews who has knowledge of the finding and excavation of this Ro building site was able to re-locate the exact position of the walling and the centre of excavation as being SP 97131362. According to Mr Matthews the excavation of this site was never completed, and no formal report was made. It appears that the major reason for the building being termed a 'temple' was its nearness to the barrow at SP 97111361 (see SP 91 SE 7). The site is on a slight platform above the surrounding land and is still under scrub and woodland. The outline of some of the original excavation trenches can still be seen, as can traces of Roman tile. No other remains, but see SP 91 SE 6 for a Roman tile scatter nearby (B9).
HT 3 Listed as the possible site of a Roman villa or temple (B10).

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