Roman Villa
It’s hardly surprising that with Deanshanger’s proximity to the major Roman Road of Watling Street a roman villa was discovered during the 1957 excavations prior to the building of the secondary school site. Two other later excavations were undertaken at the site; in 1972 during the playing field extension and in 2005 before the laying the artificial football pitch.
First uncovered by a local archaeological group the Villa was identified as a farmstead of the 1st century conforming to a 'classic villa' style, with an enclosed corridor along the north-west that opens into a suite of rooms. An open veranda facing into an inner courtyard that runs along the length of the building. A ‘T’ shaped corn-dryer where grain was spread over an under-heated floor to dry was also excavated.
In 1957 as part of the emergency dig, building materials, pottery, glass, animal bones, oyster shells and bronze artefacts were among the many finds. The most notable being an unusual highly decorated brooch with a rich orange enamel centre panel that measures about 44mm in length (1¾ inches). The 1972 dig was a more detailed excavation revealing added layout features of the villa and uncovering further finds.
In 2005 the original dig area was extended and a quern stone was uncovered (used to grind cereal crops e.g. corn, maize to make flour) along with pottery, coins from the roman and post medieval eras, animal bones and more oyster shells.
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- Plan of the excavation at Deanshanger Secondary Modern School site 1957
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- Roman amphora found 1957. Stored at Northamptonshire Records Office
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- Typical Roman Villa layout
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- Drawing of the decorative Brooch uncovered during the 1957 dig
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- DVHS members working at the 2005 dig
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- Roman walls uncovered in 2005
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- Tray of finds 2005
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- Roman pot in situ 2005
