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Wessex Archaeology

New Discoveries on a Detached Roman Bath-house and Two

Earlier Buildings at Truckle Hill, North Wraxall, Wiltshire

Interim Report on the 2009 Archaeological Excavation

and Outreach Programme

Ref: 58523.01 February 2010


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NEW DISCOVERIES ON A DETACHED ROMAN BATH-HOUSEAND TWO EARLIER BUILDINGS AT TRUCKLE HILL,

NORTH WRAXALL,WILTSHIRE

Interim Report on the 2009 Archaeological Excavationand Outreach Programme

Produced for:Wiltshire Council Archaeology ServiceWiltshire and Swindon History Centre

Cocklebury RoadChippenham

WiltshireSN15 3QN

By:Wessex Archaeology

Portway HouseOld Sarum Park

SalisburyWiltshireSP4 6EB

February 2010

WA Document Ref. No. 58523.01

Copyright Wessex Archaeology Limited 2010 all rights reservedWessex Archaeology Limited is a Registered Charity No. 287786


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CONTENTS

Summary..................................................................................................................................iiiAcknowledgements.................................................................................................................. v

1. INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................ 11.1. General....................................................................................................................... 11.2. Previous work at the site............................................................................................. 11.3. Outreach..................................................................................................................... 3

2. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES.................................................................................................. 33. METHOD STATEMENT..................................................................................................... 44. STRUCTURAL SEQUENCE ............................................................................................. 4

4.1. Introduction................................................................................................................. 44.2. Period 1: pre bath-house building 1......................................................................... 54.3. Period 2: pre bath-house building 2......................................................................... 74.4. Period 3: bath-house building................................................................................... 114.5. Period 4: crop-dryer 50............................................................................................. 12

5. FINDS .............................................................................................................................. 136. ENVIRONMENTAL REMAINS ........................................................................................ 147. DISCUSSION AND PROPOSALS .................................................................................. 14

7.1. Introduction............................................................................................................... 147.2. Structural sequence.................................................................................................. 147.3. Finds......................................................................................................................... 167.4. Environmental remains............................................................................................. 167.5. Outreach................................................................................................................... 167.6. Publication................................................................................................................ 177.7. Archive...................................................................................................................... 17

8. BIBLIOGRAPHY.............................................................................................................. 18

APPENDIX 1: Context Summary


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FIGURES

Figure 1. Site location planFigure 2. Plan of bath-house (period 3 revised interpretation), and 2009 excavation

trenches (P - X)

Figure 3. Plan showing details and projected extent of pre - bath-house buildings(periods 1 and 2)

Figure 4. Plan of crop dryer 50 (period 4), within period 3 bath-house, andapproximate extent of associated crop drying debris

PLATES

Cover. Period 2 building (Trench Q): wall 39 and associated baths / tanks (view fromsouth-east)

Plate 1. Period 1 building (Trench K): north-west corner - walls 30 and 46 (scale =1m; view from north)

Plate 2. Period 1 building (Trench K): column base 34 (scale = 1m; view from south-east)

Plate 3. Period 1 building (Trench U): second window opening in wall 32, adjacent toperiod 3 bath-house wall 20 (scale = 1m; view from east)

Plate 4. Period 1 and 2 buildings (Trench P): south-east corner, showing walls 35and 36 clasping earlier wall 32, overlain by period 3 bath-house walls 21 /22 (scale = 1m; view from east)

Plate 5. Period 2 building (Trench P): platform 37 (scale = 2m; view from south-east)

Plate 6. Period 2 building (Trench Q): wall 39 and associated baths / tanks (noteblocked tile-lined drain), overlain by period 3 bath-house walls 10 and 7/22;wall 40 in background (scale = 1m; view from north-east)

Plate 7. Period 2 building (Trench V): wall 44, overlain by period 3 bath-house wall 3to the left; period 3 bath-house wall 17 to the right (scale = 1m; view fromsouth-west)

Plate 8. Period 2 building (Trench W): wall 49, overlain by layered foundations forperiod 3 bath-house wall 5 to the left; wall 48 overlain by period 3 bath-house wall 16 to the right (scale = 1m; view from north-east)

Plate 9. Period 4 crop-dryer 50 (Trench T): the hearth in the flue lies in theforeground, with remnants of period 2 mosaic floor and associated mortarbedding (325) surviving in the base of the stoke-hole, flue and chamber

(scale = 1m; view from west)

Back cover. Trowbridge Young Archaeologists Club site visit

TABLES

Table 1. Site Archive


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Summary

Wessex Archaeology, with the support of Wiltshire Council Archaeology Service,undertook a third season of a continuing archaeological excavation and outreachprogramme to provide more information about a recently discovered Roman bath-house at Truckle Hill, North Wraxall, Wiltshire, centred on Ordnance Survey NGR383700 176240.

As in 2007 and 2008 the success of the project has owed much to the support of thelandowner and, especially, the large number of highly motivated and very competentvolunteer excavators it has attracted.

Previous work at and in the vicinity of the Truckle Hill Roman bath-house, culminatingin the excavation of 2007, uncovered a particularly well-preserved structure, arguablyone of the best surviving rural, detached bath-houses in the country, and also one ofthe largest. Subsequent conservation work was followed by targeted excavations in2008 which revealed further details of the bath-house and showed the cold bath in

frigidarium / cold bath 1 to be unusually deep. Investigation of the promontory to thenorth of the bath-house revealed a sequence of deposits interpreted as deriving fromlime / mortar preparation and, if so, represents a rare discovery of what must havebeen a commonplace feature on many villa and other sites that had substantial stonestructures. However, the most significant and unexpected discovery was elements ofan earlier building, of uncertain function, beneath the bath-house. The high status ofthis building, most likely constructed in the late 1st or early 2nd century AD, wasindicated by the exceptional quality of some of the painted wall plaster, the remainsof a mosaic floor, a few fragments of window glass and a probable column base.

Excavations in 2009 revealed more of the early (period 1) buildings extent andlayout, including part of a second window opening, but its function remains uncertain.

A bath-house now appears very unlikely, as does a detached summer dining roomassociated with the villa; other possibilities might include a temple or shrine.Subsidence at the east end remains the most likely cause of its abandonment in the2nd century AD.

The most significant discovery in 2009 was that the period 1 building was not directlyreplaced by the bath-house, but by a substantial and hitherto unsuspected stonebuilding (period 2) which pre-dated the bath-house (period 3) excavated in 2007. Thisnewly discovered building, possibly a bath-house, nymphaeum or temple, measuredapproximately 13m square and appeared to have incorporated the south and westwalls of its predecessor. The internal layout remains somewhat uncertain though itincluded at least two tanks or baths and one of the rooms contained a mosaic of

which small areas of white tesserae survived. At the south-east corner was the baseof a large platform or tower, possibly the base for a water tank. The reason for this


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building having been abandoned and levelled is unclear for no evidence forsubsidence was apparent. The precise dating for its construction and demolition alsoremain uncertain, largely because of a paucity of pottery and other datable finds,though construction in the mid 2nd and demolition in the late 2nd / early 3rd centurymight be provisionally suggested.

A further important realisation in 2009 was that what has been previously assumed tobe the front (east side, facing down slope towards the stream) of the period 3 bath-house was in fact the back, and the back (west side, facing up slope where the villawas located) was the front. This has important implications as it now almostcertainly links the use of the bath-house to the villa, and has also led to areconsideration of the layout and function of the rooms within the bath-house. Theentrance is now seen to have been on the west side, with the so-called entrancecorridor to the east a later development (related to the operation of the period 4 crop-dryer), and what previously was understood to be the caldarium can now beinterpreted as the tepidarium, and vice versa. This reversal of use solves the problemof the missing furnace, for the annexe to the smaller room, now the caldarium,

would have been the praefurnium, housing the furnace, the flue arch having beendestroyed and the doorway to the exterior disturbed, probably during antiquarianinvestigations.

Finally, excavations in 2009 have clarified further the layout and date of the period 4crop-dryer. These have revealed a typical T-shaped arrangement of Roman date, butwith the stoke-hole and flue to the west, not the east as previously thought. Potteryfrom the crop-dryer confirms a likely 4th century date, and a post-Roman use can nowbe ruled-out.

Following completion of the excavations of 2009, all trenches have been wholly orpartly backfilled and all exposed wall faces (now consolidated and repointed) coveredwith a plastic membrane and soil banked up against them to protect them from frostdamage.

In 2010 proposals are to reveal the north-west corner of the newly-discovered period2 building and clarify several details concerning the internal layout. In 2011 it ishoped to investigate selected features revealed by geophysical survey on the top ofTruckle Hill to provide more information about the setting of the villa as well aspossibly revealing something of the pre-existing Iron Age landscape.

In 2012, a post-excavation programme is proposed which will bring together theresults of the 2010-11 investigations, integrate them with the results of the 2007-9

investigations, re-examine the evidence from the 19

th

excavations of the Truckle Hill(North Wraxall) villa, and place the whole in its context of Late Iron Age and Romano-British settlement in this part of the Wiltshire Cotswolds. It is anticipated that theresults will be published as an article in the Wiltshire Archaeology and Natural HistoryMagazine.


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Acknowledgements

The programme of archaeological work in 2009 was commissioned by WiltshireCouncil, and we are most grateful to them for providing funding towards theexcavation and outreach work. In this respect, the support of Melanie Pomeroy-Kellinger (County Archaeologist, Wiltshire Council) has been instrumental in thesuccess of the project. Further funding has come from the Association for RomanArchaeology and also from Chippenham Civic Society, and we would like to thankMike Stone (Curator, Chippenham Museum) for his role in obtaining these vitalresources. Wiltshire Council (through their Monument Management Scheme) andEnglish Heritage (through their Monument Management Scheme Funding) haveprovided financial support for the conservation and protection of the bath-house andwe are grateful to Veryan Heal (Team Leader, English Heritage South West) for herrole in this programme. Additional support has been provided by Wessex Archaeology through its community programme led by Margaret Bunyard. Theinterest and help provided by the landowner, Mr Antony Little, continues to be amajor factor in the success of the project which, without his support, would not take

place.

Various individuals provided help during the course of the fieldwork. Particular thanksare due to Steven Hill (Dooey) with his quad bike which together took all ourequipment and finds to and from the site, daily replenished our water supplies andassisted with the backfilling. Paul and Karen Lysley kindly allowed parking on theirland for the many volunteers and visitors. Dave Sabin and Kerry Donaldson assistedby Jack Donaldson undertook a ground penetrating radar survey, carried out metaldetecting and also contributed significantly to the interpretation of various features.We would also like to acknowledge Martin Henig, Mike Stone, Grahame Soffe, DavidRider, Antony Little and Paul Hadley amongst others for many stimulatingdiscussions concerning the interpretation of this important and unexpectedly complex

site. Rachael Seager Smith advised on the collection and retention of the ceramicbuilding material and has provided spot-dating for the pottery. Margaret Melsom andPaul Fennell kindly processed the finds. We are also grateful to Susan Clelland forthe GPS survey and John Drew Junior for undertaking the challenging task ofbackfilling the excavation trenches by machine, a task which relieved us of manyhours hard labour backfilling by hand.

As in 2007, the involvement of a large number of enthusiastic and very capablevolunteers was the key factor in the success of the project, the total number reachingalmost 30 over the two week duration of the excavation. They included members oflocal groups, university students, museum volunteers, staff from Wiltshire Counciland Wessex Archaeology or ex-Wessex Archaeology staff, and individuals - some

local, some from further afield - who were simply keen to be involved with the project.Paul Hadley, Jayne OConnell and Clive Green were ever-present and their skill and


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experience was much appreciated. However, all those who took part are greatlythanked for their help.

The fieldwork was directed by Phil Andrews with the assistance Darren Baker. Theproject was managed for Wessex Archaeology by Margaret Bunyard, who also co-

ordinated the team of volunteers and the participation of the Young ArchaeologistsClub. We are especially grateful to Cally Langhurst, Cat McHarg, Susan Clelland andLouise Mansbridge for organising the Young Archaeologists Club visits andactivities.

This report was compiled by Phil Andrews, with graphics by Rob Goller.


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1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 General

1.1.1 Wessex Archaeology, with the support of Wiltshire Council Archaeology

Service (WCAS), undertook a third season of the continuing archaeologicalexcavation and outreach programme to provide more information about anewly-discovered Roman bath-house at Truckle Hill, North Wraxall,Wiltshire, centred on Ordnance Survey NGR 383700 176240 (Figure 1).

1.1.2 The Truckle Hill Roman bath-house lies at a height ofc. 84m aOD on thewest side of a narrow, steep-sided valley within the parish of North Wraxall inNorth Wiltshire. It sits within the Wiltshire Cotswolds in a landscape rich inRomano-British archaeology the Fosse Way Roman Road lies 1.5 km tothe west as does the major shrine site at Nettleton Shrub. The bath-house isonly a little over 100m north of the Truckle Hill (North Wraxall) Roman Villa, asubstantial villa and probable farm estate centre, partly excavated by G.

Poulet-Scrope in 1859-60 (Scheduled Monument W878; WAM1862; Scott1993, 205), which occupies a relatively flat, hilltop position. Further detailsrelating to the setting and discovery of the bath-house can be found in thepublication of the 2007 work on the site (Andrews 2009).

1.2 Previous work at the site

1.2.1 Following the partial exposure of the Roman bath-house in 2004 during small-scale stone quarrying activity by the landowner, a rapid recording exercisewas undertaken by Wessex Archaeology (WA 2005). Subsequently, a rapidwalkover survey was carried out by the English Heritage (EH) Archaeological

Survey & Investigation team of the narrow valley containing the site. The EHGeophysics Team undertook an earth resistance survey of the immediatevicinity of the bath-house which produced clear results suggesting thepresence of at least one further building and a complex of otherarchaeological features (Linford and Payne 2005). Initial conclusions of thispreliminary work were that the entire head of the valley may have formed amanaged landscape in Roman times, potentially of similar nature to thenearby site at Nettleton and probably attached to the Truckle Hill villa estate.

1.2.2 The steep topography of the valley side upon which the bath-house wasconstructed has posed a difficult conservation problem since the time of thebuildings discovery. Direct vehicle access to the site, especially for one

carrying fill material, is virtually impossible. Unfortunately, co-ordinatedattempts to adequately protect the exposed remains through the winter


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months of 2004-6 were not successful, and deterioration of the siteaccelerated at an alarming pace.

1.2.3 Following a site visit in May 2007 it was felt that the maximum effort should goimmediately into the urgent preservation by record of the most vulnerableparts of the bath-house. To achieve this aim a partnership project (WCAS, EHand WA) was proposed which would provide the resources and people toundertake controlled excavation of the site and maximise the opportunitiesthus afforded.

1.2.4 Excavations in 2007 (Andrews 2009) and 2008 (WA 2009) uncovered thecomplete suite of rooms, of two phases, with initial construction probablytaking place during the 2nd century AD, most likely towards the end of thatcentury. The use of the bath-house continued until the end of the 3rd or,possibly, the early 4th century AD. The phase 1 frigidarium / cold bath wasparticularly deep, a plunge pool rather than a bath, and there is a possibilitythat the new, phase 2 frigidarium / cold bath remained unfinished at the time

the bath-house ceased operation. Excavations in 2007-8 failed, however, tolocate the praefurnium / furnace. The chronological relationship to the bathsuite in the Truckle Hill villa excavated in the mid-19th century is uncertain, butit is suggested that the two co-existed, although the use of the latter mayhave superseded the detached bath-house which was subsequentlyabandoned.

1.2.5 The most significant and surprising discovery in 2008 was elements of anearlier building, of uncertain function, beneath the bath-house. The highstatus of this building, most likely constructed in the late 1 st or early 2ndcentury AD, was indicated by the exceptional quality of some of the paintedwall plaster (some in situ and imitating a variety of Italian marbles), the

remains of a mosaic floor, a few fragments of window glass and a probablecolumn base.

1.2.6 A surprisingly small assemblage of finds, particularly metalwork (excludingnails), was present. However, the large quantity of decorative materialrecovered in 2008 (particularly the painted wall plaster) demonstrated that thepredecessor to the bath-house was relatively sumptuously appointed, thoughthe situation is less clear in the case of the bath-house itself. The large size ofthe bath-house and its proximity to the villa suggested that it may have beenused by the occupants and visitors to the villa rather than being a separatebath-house for estate workers.

1.2.7 Like some other detached bath-houses, it was subsequently used foragricultural purposes, perhaps as a barn, and a corn-drying kiln wasconstructed within part of the shell of the abandoned building, probably in the4th century AD. Samples from deposits associated with this activity wereexceptionally rich in cereal remains, comprising predominately glumes andspikelet forks of spelt wheat (Stevens 2009). These are highly indicative ofmass de-husking on a scale probably far exceeding the needs of the nearbyvillas inhabitants. The most likely reason for this is that pure, cleaned grainwas being produced to supply military needs and towns, for example Bathwhich lay less than 15 kilometres to the south-west along the Fosse Way.

1.2.8 There is convincing evidence that parts of the bath-house were excavated inthe 19th century with G. Poulet-Scrope, excavator of the nearby villa,remaining the most likely candidate for this work. There is also a possibility


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that the exposed bath-house structure was consolidated and retained as alandscape feature at that time.

1.2.9 Following completion of work in 2007, the archaeological trenches werebackfilled by hand. Fill material generated from the excavation wasstrategically placed (over Teram) to protect the vulnerable and exposedstructural elements that could not be preserved by consolidation. Over thewinter of 2007-8 the more robust of the exposed bath-house walls werepacked and re-pointed with lime mortar and the wall heads soft capped withturf by specialist contractors to aid their long-term preservation. Thisconservation work was funded locally by WCAS via the MonumentManagement Scheme. Following completion of the 2008 excavation thedeeper trenches were backfilled by hand and all structural remains coveredwith Teram and soil pending further excavation.

1.2.10 During 2007-8 the villa and adjacent hilltop area were subject to geophysicalsurvey which pinpointed the location and confirmed the orientation of the villa

complex as well as recording a variety of other features, some likely to be ofIron Age date. Furthermore, LiDAR data indicates the presence of a roadapproaching the north side of the villa through what is now dense woodland(Archaeological Surveys Ltd 2008).

1.3 Outreach

1.3.1 The landowner, Antony Little, is very interested in the history of his site andfavourably disposed to investigation. He generously agreed to cordon off thearea of the Roman bath-house and make it and the surrounding part of thevalley available for investigation over several seasons.

1.3.2 Not only is the site of intrinsic interest and worthy of research, but its positionand state of preservation make it an ideal candidate for communityinvolvement and outreach, extending the benefits of archaeology to a wideraudience. It is not often that there is such a good opportunity to involvemembers of the local community in a significant archaeological investigation.

1.3.3 Education and outreach were therefore considered as central to this project,and not as an additional feature. The involvement of local community groupswas planned into each relevant phase of the work.

1.3.4 Furthermore, the involvement of volunteers and students has allowed a fargreater level of investigation to take place than would otherwise have beenpossible within the constraints of the budgets in 2007, 2008 and, particularly,2009.

2 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

2.1 The principal aim of the 2009 archaeological excavation was to:

Reveal as much as possible (within the constraints of the extantbath-house remains) of the extent and layout of the early (period 1),pre-bath-house building and establish, if possible, its period of useand function.


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2.2 An integral part of this project was the outreach programme, the aim of whichwas to enable members of the public, local societies and students to takepart in the process and delivery of a worthwhile project. The objective was toencourage community and outreach activities and provide training in fieldsurvey and excavation techniques.

2.3 A further objective was to provide archaeological data of sufficient quality toinform the designation of the site, in combination with other research data.This will also increase understanding of the archaeological resourcerepresented on the site and inform revision and further focusing of thelonger-term research project.

3 METHOD STATEMENT

3.1 No specific method statement was prepared for the 2009 excavation, but that

contained in the Project Design for the 2007 excavation (WA 2007) was alsoused for the 2008 and 2009 works, including finds collection andenvironmental sampling strategies. As in 2007 and 2008, all trenches werehand-excavated. Following conclusion of the 2009 programme, all trencheswere backfilled, this time using a 1-ton tracked excavator fitted with aditching bucket, with care taken to use the appropriate material to coverexposed areas of painted wall plaster and other sensitive areas (ie walls andfloor surfaces).

4 STRUCTURAL SEQUENCE

4.1 Introduction

4.1.1 The excavation was undertaken over a two week period at the end ofSeptember and the beginning of October 2009. The exceptional volunteerresponse resulted in an average daily workforce of 10 people, enabling theprincipal aim of the excavation to be fully addressed. Nine new trencheswere excavated, designated Trenches P X, and further work wasundertaken in Trenches A and K which had been opened in 2008, resultingin them being linked together (Figure2). The opening of trenches proceededin an iterative fashion, reflecting the progressive nature of discoveries andthe need to develop a further understanding of the structural sequence.

4.1.2 Prior to the 2009 excavation it was assumed that the results would relateprimarily to the predecessor to the bath-house, first recorded in 2008.However, during the course of the excavation it became clear that there wasa further, previously unsuspected building sandwiched in the sequencebetween the bath-house and what, in 2008, was thought to be its immediatepredecessor, though there was no certain evidence that the latter was abath-house. Therefore, the discoveries relating to these buildings aredescribed separately below, and for the sake of clarity the followingsequence has been adopted (suggested date ranges are provisional):

Period 1. Pre bath-house building 1 (late 1st/early 2nd mid 2nd century)

Period 2. Pre bath-house building 2 (mid 2nd late 2nd/early 3rd century)


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Period 3. Bath-house (late 2nd/early 3rd late 3rd/early 4th century)

Period 4. Crop-dryer (early mid 4th century)

GPR survey

4.1.3 Prior to and during the course of the excavations various parts of the sitewere subject to a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) survey, undertaken byDave Sabin and Kerry Donaldson with the assistance of Jack Donaldson(details in archive). The extant bath-house walls provided the mainconstraints to this work, and the sloping ground covered with rough grassand, in places, thicker vegetation also provided a challenge to the team.

4.1.4 To the south of the period 3 bath-house the GPR survey clearly indicated thepresence and extent of period 2 masonry platform 37 (see below), butshowed no other certain evidence for structural remains in this area. The

general absence of structures here appears to have been confirmed duringthe subsequent, limited excavations undertaken on this part of the terrace tothe south of the bath-house. Previously the area had been highlighted, onthe basis of its location and extent, as one that had good potential for thepresence of further structures.

4.1.5 Within the confines of the bath-house itself the GPR survey results weresomewhat ambiguous but appeared to show evidence for terracing of thenatural deposits (beneath the apodyterium), terracing which continued downslope to the east of the bath-house. Evidence for terracing of the slope wasalso recorded in the 2008 excavations (in Trenches G and H), and is likely tohave formed part of the ground preparation prior to building construction.

4.1.6 The results of the GPR survey on the slope to the north of the bath-housewere also somewhat ambiguous, but indicated the presence of one ditch atleast, running down slope. This ditch may correlate with an anomalyrecorded in the 2004 geophysical survey undertaken by English Heritage(Linford and Payne 2005).

4.2 Period 1: pre - bath-house building 1 (Figures 2 and 3)

West side (Trenches A, D and K. Figure 3; Plates 1 and 2)

4.2.1 Trench K was extended to the south to link with Trench A. This showed wall30 (with painted imitation marble, exposed in 2008) to return to the east aswall 46, the painted decoration continuing on the inner face of wall 46, andtogether these walls formed the north-west corner of the period 1 building(Plate 1). The remnant of mosaic floor uncovered in 2008 at the base of wall30 was not further exposed in 2009. Only a stub of wall 46 survived as it hadbeen largely destroyed to the east during construction of the period 3 bath-house. It may, however, have continued to the west (beyond the limit ofexcavation), acting as a revetment (as did wall 30), built into the naturalslope and perhaps forming part of the forecourt / access arrangements tothe period 1 building from the villa to the south (see below).

4.2.2 Approximately 1.75m north of the corner of the building was column base 34(partly exposed in 2008), 0.75m square and 0.4m high, with the stratigraphic


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sequence indicating that it was probably contemporary with the period 1building (Plate 2). The column base was plain and the top and upper parts ofthe sides had suffered some degree of exfoliation as a result of frost action(in antiquity). It sat on a substantial limestone slab (0.11m thick), though notquite square to it, suggesting that the slab might once have been part of amore extensive paved surface which had later been robbed, rather than anelement of the column base.

4.2.3 Wall 46 and column base 34 were surrounded and partly covered by a seriesof demolition deposits (335), which were then buried beneath colluvium /hillwash (2008 contexts 233 235). Limited excavation behind (ie west of)wall 30 in Trench A showed that here a thin build-up of colluvium directlyoverlay natural deposits. It thus demonstrated that wall 30 was not free-standing and also that there were no further rooms in building 1 on the westside of this wall.

4.2.4 Trench T to the south enlarged Trench J excavated in 2008. This showed

that wall 31, a continuation to the south of wall 30, was butted by wall 45which ran east / west, and together these formed the south-west corner ofthe period 1 building. Like wall 46 in Trench K, only a stub of wall 45remained, as to the east it had been destroyed by construction of the period3 bath-house. It was clear, however, that it continued to the west (beyond thelimit of excavation) where it formed a revetment against the side of thenatural slope to the north. It is suggested that this formed part of the accessarrangements from the villa upslope to the south, perhaps with a formal pathor steps linking the two building complexes.

South side (Trenches P and U. Figure 3; Plates 3 and 4)

4.2.5 Trench P encompassed and considerably expanded upon the areasexcavated as Trenches E, M and N in 2008. The window opening in wall 32,uncovered earlier in Trench M, was re-exposed, and a further trench (U)opened a few metres to the west. This revealed the greater part of a secondwindow opening in wall 32, of identical form to that uncovered in 2008, butbetter preserved (Plate 3). The two windows were 2.5m apart (3.75m centre-to-centre). In Trench U, the lower parts of the splayed sides and cill survivedand were covered with plaster, painted white with a broad red stripe aroundthe innermost part of the splay. The splay increased from a width of 0.6m onthe outside to 1.2m on the inside.

4.2.6 It wasnt possible to establish the nature or height of the contemporary floorlevel within the very restricted space available for investigation in this area,although a floor in the order of 1m below the bottom of the cill splay might beanticipated. Certainly, comparison of levels indicates that the floor here waslower than the mosaic at the west end of the building, adjacent to wall 30,recorded in 2008. Furthermore, a remnant of external paved surface (331),probably contemporary with wall 32, was found preserved in Trench Pbeneath the southern edge of period 2 platform 37, at a height of 82.90maOD, approximately 0.85m below the level of the window cill splay.

4.2.7 The surviving east end of wall 32 was exposed in Trench P (Plate 4) andfrom this it was clear that at least part of this wall and the east wall (of which

nothing survived) had collapsed and / or been demolished. Subsequently theremaining part of the south wall as well, it appears, as the west wall wereincorporated in the period 2, pre bath-house building (see below).


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4.3 Period 2: pre - bath-house building 2 (Figures 2 and 3; Plates 4 - 8)

4.3.1 No elements of this relatively extensive and substantial building had beenrecognised during the 2007-8 excavations, though it is now clear that wall 13

in frigidarium / cold bath 1 of the period 3 bath-house had been retained fromthe period 2 building.

4.3.2 Following its first recognition in 2009, initially in Trenches P and Q, TrenchesS, V and W were positioned to determine further details of the extent andlayout of the period 2 building, though further work is required, particularly inthe north-west corner, to clarify this. As currently understood, however, thebuilding was approximately 13m square.

4.3.3 As noted above, it appears that the south wall (32, with window openings,and 45) and the west wall (30, 31, and also part of 46, with richly decoratedwall plaster) of the period 1 building were retained as part of the more

extensive (and substantial) period 2 building, though why this should havebeen done is at present unclear. Structurally, this does not seem logical, andfurther work is necessary to understand, as far as possible, how thesestructures were articulated, particularly on the west side.

South side (Trenches P, U and X. Figure 3; Plates 4 and 5)

4.3.4 The articulation of the period 1 and period 2 buildings is best illustrated atthe south-east corner (Trench P) where the walls forming the corner (35 and36) of the period 2 building clasp and incorporate the surviving east end ofperiod 1 wall 32 (Plate 4), the remainder of this wall apparently havingbroken away and / or been demolished. Wall 35, on the east side, had been

thickened from 0.75m to 0.9m at the south end, and was also 0.15m widerthan wall 36 on the south side. This in effect formed a buttress. The wall waspresumably built more substantially here to reduce the risk of subsidence inthe deeper deposits towards the edge of the artificial terrace on which thebuildings were constructed. Indeed, unlike the period 1 building (and thefrigidarium / cold bath 1 of the period 3 bath-house), there was no evidencethat the period 2 building had suffered from any subsidence.

4.3.5 Relatively little of wall 36 was exposed as period 3 bath-house wall 19/20had been constructed directly on top of it, but it could be seen to have beenbuilt along the inside of period 1 wall 32, leaving only a very narrow gapbetween the two. What was less clear was the relationship of wall 36 to thetwo window openings in wall 32. It seemingly blocked the lower parts of thecills of the two windows, but how high the wall extended above this level isunknown as it had been subsequently levelled for the construction of theperiod 3 bath-house. What is more clear, however, is that wall 36 didntextend as far west as period 1 wall 30/31, and it may have returned to thenorth beneath period 3 bath-house wall 16 (see below).

4.3.6 Excavation within the restricted area exposed in the south-east corner of theperiod 2 building showed it was filled with tightly packed rubble, forming asolid foundation for the corner of the period 3 bath-house. From what couldbe seen, the inner faces of walls 35 and 36 appeared to be covered with

remnants of plain white plaster, and the floor lay at a depth of approximately0.85m below this, though this could only be ascertained by probing and itsnature is unknown.


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4.3.7 At the south-east corner of building 2 was a substantial, sub-rectangular

masonry base or platform (37). This measured 3.75m by 2.40m andsurvived to a height of approximately 1.3m (Plate 5). The exterior faces wereformed of roughly dressed, quite regularly coursed stone, with some ashlarsused in the corners, and the interior comprised mortared stone rubble.Platform 37 butted wall 32 and overlay possible paved surface 331, bothassigned to period 1, with a narrow gap left between it and period 2 walls35/36. Although paved surface 331 had been robbed where it was notpreserved beneath platform 37, it appears likely that its use spanned bothperiods 1 and 2. Platform 37 had been levelled when the period 3 bath-house was built and no evidence for what it might once have supportedsurvived. It may have been, for example, the base for a water tank, orpossibly a free-standing tower.

4.3.8 Built up against wall 32 and platform 37 were a succession of demolitiondeposits which comprised large amounts of stone rubble, mortar and wall

plaster (context 305 was particularly notable for the quantity of wall plaster itcontained). It is clear that these derived largely from the demolition andlevelling of the period 2 building, though some may come from the period 1building. (It can be noted, however, that none of the decoration on theplaster matched the imitation marble scheme recorded in situon the westand north walls (30 and 46 respectively) of the period 1 building).

4.3.9 Trench X, to the west of Trench P, was excavated to investigate a faint linearanomaly revealed in the GPR survey of the area south of the bath-house.However, within the 1m square excavation, only demolition deposits wereencountered, similar to those recorded in Trench P (see above). It wouldappear that much of the area to the south of the bath-house (as well as the

slope to the east) is covered by demolition deposits, primarily derived fromthe period 2 and 3 buildings. Apart from the single anomaly there wasnothing further in the GPR survey results to suggest that any structures layin this area.

East side (Trenches Q and D. Figure 3; Plate 6)

4.3.10 North of the south-east corner, wall 35 continued as wall 39 (in Trench Q)and survived to a height of 1.5m above the contemporary ground surface(Plate 5), and beyond this it was preserved to a height of approximately 2mwhere it was retained as the west wall (13) of the cold bath or plunge pool infrigidarium / cold bath 1 of the period 3 bath-house. Wall 39 was 0.75m wide

and (as elsewhere) well constructed of somewhat irregularly sized butroughly squared, regularly coursed limestone set in a cream-coloured slightlysandy mortar. The depth of the wall foundations was not established here oranywhere else within the building, but indirect evidence indicates them to besubstantial. A remnant (measuring approximately 0.6m by 0.4m) of rendersurvived in situon the external face of wall 39, and is of note for none hassurvived elsewhere on the wall elevations exposed. This render comprised awhite, slightly sandy plaster with a noticeably rough surface, in contrast tothe smooth or polished finish of the internal, painted plaster.

4.3.11 Perhaps the most significant feature of wall 39 was an arched drain, 0.7mhigh and 0.5m wide, formed of ceramic tiles, which pierced the wall and ledfrom a bath or tank inside (see below). No external surface survived, but thedrain presumably fed into a channel of some sort. This drain was later


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carefully blocked, probably immediately prior to the construction of the period3 bath-house, most likely because it would have been a weak point beneaththe corner of walls 7 and 22 of what is now interpreted as the praefurnium(see below). Further ceramic tiles were noted at a similar heightapproximately 3m to the north in the east face of wall 13 during theexcavation in 2008 of the frigidarium / cold bath 1 of the period 3 bath-house.Although clearly a group, no pattern was apparent, and at the time it wasthought that these might have been part of an inlet or blocking / repair in thiswall. However, it now seems probable that they may have been part ofanother drain (later blocked) from a second bath or tank in the period 2building (see below).

4.3.12 Only a small part of wall 40 was exposed, at the south end of Trench Q, anyfurther investigation precluded by the depth of deposits in this area.However, it is suggested that this wall, aligned east-west and butted againstwall 39, may have been a buttress, though it may have been related to theterracing arrangements on the slope. The possibility of the latter might be

supported by the height of the surviving wall, which was only 0.50m, and thismay originally have been almost its full height. The width of the wall was notascertained, nor was its extent to the east, but an offset at the base providesa clear indication of the contemporary ground level, at c. 82.00m aOD,corresponding with that in front of the drain in wall 39. By comparison, thecontemporary ground level to the south-west (in Trench P) was at c. 82.80maOD, indicating a step or steps up to this level.

North side (Trenches S and V. Figure 3; Plate 7)

4.3.13 Wall 44 probably defined the northern extent of the period 2 building. A shortlength of the basal course and foundations were exposed in Trench S, where

it was 0.65m wide, but further to the east only part of the south elevation wasseen, in Trench V, where it lay directly below period 3 bath-house walls 3and 9, (Plate 7). No plaster survived in situon the wall faces, but very little ofthe wall survived in Trench S and the wall exposed in Trench V almostcertainly lay below the contemporary floor level (see below).

4.3.14 Wall 48 (in Trench S) was bonded with wall 44 and extended to the southbeneath period 3 bath-house wall 16. It is perhaps most likely that this wasan internal wall and it is discussed further below.

West side (Trenches S and W. Figure 3)

4.3.15 The period 2 structural arrangements in this area are not yet clear andrequire further investigation. Wall 44 on the north side is thought likely to turnto the south and align with wall 30 / 31 (as well as column base 34) whichformed the west side of the period 1 building, though how these differentelements articulated remains to be established. What does seem clear,however, is that there were no period 2 walls in trenches K and T, though theperiod 1 walls (30, 31, 45 and part of 46) in this area were incorporated inthe Period 2 building.

Internal arrangements (Trenches Q, R, S, V, and W. Figure 3; Plates 6 - 9)

4.3.16 Little of the interior of the period 2 building was or could be investigated, inlarge part due to the constraints imposed by the extant period 3 bath-houseremains. However, several of the trenches excavated in 2009 provided


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tantalising glimpses of the layout and decoration of the building, and thesehave contributed to an understanding of its possible function.

4.3.17 Wall 48, aligned north-south, was exposed in elevation in Trenches S andW, directly beneath period 3 bath-house wall 16. It was probably alsopresent in Trenches A and I excavated in 2008, again directly beneath bath-house wall 16, though at that time its significance in the structural sequencewent unrecognised; here it was thought to have been the lower, foundationcourses of wall 16. The construction of wall 48 may have created a corridor,rooms or spaces 3m wide along the west side of the building, in part byincorporating the earlier, period 1 walls (30/31, 45 and part of 46) in thisarrangement. Perhaps these earlier walls formed a single room at thesouthern end (the high quality wall painting and mosaic probably alsoretained), with a corresponding (as yet undiscovered) room at the northernend and a formal entrance in between, represented by column base 34 (oneof a pair?), also retained from period 1. Certainly, the mortar bedding (334,at c. 83.80m aOD) in the angle between walls 44 and 48 in Trench S, sealed

beneath the period 3 deposits, suggests the former presence of a floorsurface, most likely within an internal space. Proposed further investigationof this area in 2010 is likely to clarify the structural arrangements in thenorth-west corner of the period 2 building, but it appears that there is littlemore to be learnt in the south-west corner where construction of the period 3bath-house has removed large parts of the earlier walls and contemporaryfloor surfaces.

4.3.18 North-south wall 48 was built over the top of east-west wall 49, exposed inTrench W, but in all probability the two walls belonged to the same buildingcampaign (Plate 8). Although only a small part of the north-facing elevationwas exposed, this showed the top of wall 49 to be level, at approximately

83.20m aOD, and only c. 70mm higher than floor 325 on the south side (seebelow). It is possible, therefore, that the short length (1.7m) of wall 49revealed was part of a threshold, though the wall may have formed the basefor a partition. No floor surface contemporary with wall 49 survived on thenorth side, in either Trench W or Trench V, and the relatively deepexcavation in Trench V revealed only what appears to be rubble infill / make-up; it also showed that there was no period 2 internal wall below period 3bath-house wall 17 (see Plate 7). The absence of a floor surface in this areais a little surprising given the presence of floor 325 to the south, but thepossibility that this may have been timber cannot be ruled out.

4.3.19 Exposed within the base of period 4 crop dryer 50 in Trench R, to the south

of wall 49, was floor 325 which comprised a mortar bedding with three smallpatches (max. 0.2m by 0.2m) of white tesserae surviving, probably theremnants of a mosaic floor (see Plate 9). A clear edge was apparent in onepatch, this edge apparently continuing the line of the south face of wall 38(see below), and perhaps this defined a division or some other feature withinthis area. Floor 325 can be assigned to the period 2 building with confidence,and provides some indication of the quality of decoration within this centralarea at least.

4.3.20 Possibly the most significant features revealed within the period 2 buildingwere two adjacent baths or tanks, on the east side of the building next to wall39 (see Plate 6 and cover). Their interpretation is somewhat ambiguousbecause of the large size of the associated drain(s) (see above). The fullextent of these baths or tanks was not determined but they were clearly an


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integral part of the building and not a later addition. Wall 38 which separatedthem was 0.20m wide and bonded to wall 37. Wall 38 was between 2.5 and3.5m in length (its extent was obscured by later walls 17 and 43), and thisprovides some indication of the size of the baths or tanks. Furthermore, thesoutherly of the two was 0.8m deep and the northerly at least 0.9m (probingsuggested c. 1.1m), and both were lined with opus signinum. The veryrestricted space available for excavation allowed only limited investigation,but did show that the corners at the sides and base of the southern bath /tank were sealed by quarter-mouldings formed ofopus signinum and that thelining extended into the large, tile-lined drain which exited through wall 39.The two baths or tanks were almost entirely filled with tightly packed stonerubble (314 and 315 respectively), presumably in period 3 to provide a solidfoundation for the bath-house.

4.4 Period 3: bath-house building (Figure 2)

4.4.1 No new structural elements were revealed during the 2009 season, but

further reasons for the buildings location, extent and orientation havebecome apparent and, most importantly, a re-interpretation of the use ofsome of the rooms has been necessary as a result of discoveries relating tothe period 2, pre bath-house building and the period 4 crop-dryer.

4.4.2 Following discovery of the previously unsuspected period 2, pre bath-house building it became apparent that the period 3 bath-house had re-useda number of the earlier walls for its foundations. The use of these earlierwalls largely dictated the extent and orientation of the bath-house with, to thesouth, walls 19 and 20 built on wall 36; to the west, wall 16 built on wall 48;to the north, wall 3 built on wall 44; and to the east, wall 22 built on wall35/39. Furthermore, the northern part of wall 39 was retained and, in a

slightly modified form, became the west wall of the plunge pool in frigidarium/ cold bath 1.

4.4.3 A new understanding of the layout and operation of the period 4 crop-dryer(see below) and of the articulation of the space to the west of the bath-house(and its predecessors) has led to a reconsideration of the accessarrangements to the bath-house and, as a result of this, a reversal of frontand back. Access to the bath-house (and therefore its front) is nowconsidered to have been through wall 16 in the west side, between internalwalls 5 and 15. Although the precise location of the doorway was not clear, ithad been previously observed that wall 16 was somewhat rougherimmediately north of wall 15, and this might reflect a threshold that hassuffered from wear and tear.

4.4.4 If the doorway was located between walls 5 and 15, then the southern half ofthe apodyterium may have functioned as an entrance vestibule, occupyingan area of approximately 5m by 3.25m, with access from here into thetepidarium (see below) through a narrow doorway (later blocked) at the westend of wall 7 and, initially at least, into frigidarium / cold bath 1, though thelocation of a doorway to this through wall 17 has not been established. If thisentrance vestibule did exist, then the apodyterium proper may haveoccupied the space to the north-west of offset walls 4 and 5, an area ofapproximately 5m by 2.25m. The newly postulated location of the entrance

might also explain the arrangement of offset walls and also the thickening ofwall 15 at the west end, for the length of this thickening (1.75m) correspondsexactly with the length of wall 5 which lay 2.25m to the north. It might be


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suggested, therefore, that this arrangement directly reflects the structuralrequirements associated with the placing of the doorway in this location.

4.4.5 As a result of the reconsideration of access arrangements it is now fairlycertain that the so-called entrance corridor in the east side was non-existent.What was formerly thought to have been the front of the bath-house is nowseen as the back, and the threshold at the south end of wall 17 can beinterpreted as a result of an opening having been created in the wall duringperiod 4 to facilitate access to the rear of the crop-dryer chamber. This wouldalso explain the ragged end of the wall on the north side of this opening forthis was simply knocked through and never formed part of a door jamb; thesouth end of wall 17 butted wall 7 and thus could be removed without leavinga scar.

4.4.6 The recognition that the entrance to the bath-house was in the west ratherthan the east side and that the latter was, therefore, the back of the bath-house has subsequently led to a re-interpretation of the use of some of the

rooms. The possible division of the apodyterium into an entrance vestibuleand changing area has been suggested above but, more importantly, it isnow considered that the published arrangement oftepidarium and caldariumis incorrect (Andrews 2009), and that they should be reversed so that thecaldarium becomes the south-east room and the tepidarium the south-westroom in the bath-house. This makes more sense in that the caldarium cannow be identified as the smaller of the two rooms, particularly if the annexeon the north side was the location of the missing praefurnium (furnaceroom) and not, as thought previously, part of the tepidarium. In this locationthe furnace can now be seen to have lain within the rear of the bath-house,where it might be anticipated, with access to this through a doorway towardsthe north end of wall 22. This doorway was not clearly defined in plan in

2007-8, largely because this area had been disturbed, probably duringantiquarian investigation. However, exposure of the east-facing elevation ofwall 22 in 2009 appears to show the remains of an opening approximately1m wide in this location, interpreted as a doorway. The furnace flue arch,presumed to have been located in the 1.8m-wide gap between the opposingspringers in walls 7 and 21, did not survive, but may have been destroyedas a result of the antiquarian intrusion here. In this respect it might be notedthat wall 14, containing the two flue arches between the caldarium andtepidarium, survived in a relatively poor condition. No evidence for burningsurvived within thepraefurnium and no spent fuel deposits were encounteredoutside to the east, though the contemporary ground surface in this area hadbeen almost completely removed through erosion.

4.5 Period 4: crop-dryer 50 (Figure 4 and Plate 9)

4.5.1 Whilst investigating part of the period 2 building (in Trench R), virtually thefull plan of the period 4 crop-dryer was unexpectedly revealed. Previously ithad been thought that the flue and stoke-hole lay to the east of the squarechamber (defined by walls 6 and 8) and that both these elements had beenat a level above the surviving ground surface. However, the 2009 excavationrevealed the well preserved remains of a T-shaped crop-dryer with thestoke-hole and flue below this level, and lying to the west of the chamber.

4.5.2 The crop-dryer occupied the full width of the south end of the apodyterium /entrance area to the bath-house, immediately south of or possibly adjacentto the presumed location of the doorway in the west wall (16). The stoke-


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hole was not fully exposed but is estimated to have been approximately1.75m square with external access through the doorway in the west wall.The flue was 2.5m long and up to 0.75m wide, with walls 41 and 47 formingthe south and north sides respectively, each with rubble fill behind. The flueopened at the east end into a narrow, transverse slot 1.6m long andapproximately 0.3m wide through which the warm air would have passedinto the chamber above. The floor of the stoke-hole and flue re-used the floorsurface (325, with remnants of mosaic surviving) of the period 2 building inthis area, and the location of the hearth within the flue arch was clearlyapparent from the area of heavy burning on the floor and walls near themouth of the flue. The east end of the flue had been strengthened by walls42 and 43, bonded together, which together provided a foundation forchamber walls 6 and 8 as well, perhaps, as providing support for the meshon which the grain or other crops were spread out to dry.

4.5.3 There may have been access to the rear of the chamber, and this wouldexplain why a short section of bath-house wall 17 had been removed here.

(The previous, published suggestion that this was a threshold within theentrance corridor can now be discounted and, furthermore, it is nowconsidered very unlikely that there was access to the bath-house here inperiod 3).

4.5.4 The base of the crop-dryer was covered with a sequence of burnt deposits(324) approximately 0.2m deep which previous analysis (Stevens 2009) hasindicated are rich in charred grain and probably comprise a mixture of spentfuel and spoilt grain. Substantial deposits of similar debris have previouslybeen encountered (and analysed) immediately to the west of the bath-house,presumably disposed of through the doorway, and also in the abandonedfrigidarium / cold bath 1. It is thought likely that the latter material was

removed from the rear of the chamber. It now seems clear that both of thesedumps originated from a single crop-dryer (50), rather than possibly morethan one as has previously been surmised. These dumps, as well as theburnt material in the base of the crop-dryer, together produced the largestassemblage of pottery from the site (though still very small in absoluteterms), and the dating of this appears to confirm that the crop-dryer was inuse during the 4th century AD. The upper part of the stoke-hole and flue wasfilled largely with stone rubble and mortar (323), including at least one largeslab (approximately 0.4m square) which probably formed part of the cappingto the flue.

5 FINDS

5.1 The finds recovered during 2009 have been fully processed and recorded,and are all of Roman date. Preliminary assessment indicates there to be avery small quantity of pottery, most from the crop-dryer and dated to the late3rd or 4th century (Rachael Seager Smith, pers. comm.), and a few ironobjects. There is also a moderate quantity of ceramic building material(mostly box flue tile), some of it dated to as early as the late 1 st century AD(Mike Stone, pers. comm.), and a few fragments of window glass. As in2008, by far the largest category of material is painted wall plaster, much of itdecorated. The painted surfaces of the plaster have been gently washed andthe material laid out to dry in trays.


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6 ENVIRONMENTAL REMAINS

6.1 A single bulk sample was taken in 2009 but has not yet been processed. Thiscame from the period 4 crop-dryer, and adds to the suite of samples taken in

previous seasons from the crop-dryer, bath-house and lime / mortarpreparation area. No other contexts excavated in 2009 were considered tohave good potential for the survival of environmental remains, virtually allcomprising construction or demolition deposits.

7 DISCUSSION AND PROPOSALS

7.1 Introduction

7.1.1 In 2008 it was envisaged that 2009 would be the last season of excavation onthe bath-house. However, the unexpected discovery in 2009 of the second oftwo earlier buildings beneath it has resulted in a revision to the proposed

programme of work. Overall, the sequence of buildings now revealed atTruckle Hill is remarkable, and is of regional if not national significance.

7.1.2 The evolving layout and probable changing function of the period 1 - 3buildings is of particular interest, a sequence in which water and ritual mayhave had significant roles, though this has yet to be fully assessed andunderstood. It is now anticipated that a further season of excavation will beundertaken in 2010 to clarify, in particular, details of the newly discoveredperiod 2 building. This will be followed in 2011 by investigation of selectedfeatures revealed by geophysical survey on the top of Truckle Hill, to thesouth and west of the villa site. It is hoped that the proposed 2011 excavationwill provide more information about the setting of the villa as well as possibly

revealing something of the pre-existing Iron Age landscape.

7.2 Structural sequence

Period 1

7.2.1 There is probably little more to learn through further excavation of the period 1building, a large part of which was removed during the period 2 and period 3building campaigns. The high status of the building is indicated by theexceptional quality of some of the painted wall plaster (Davey and Ling 1982,46), the remains of a mosaic floor, as well as other details of the architecture,for example the column base and the two window openings in the south wall.

This building appears to have been rectangular, aligned east-west, andmeasured approximately 12m by 4.5m. It may have been approached fromthe west, possibly via a monumental entrance formed by a (?)pair of columns,with an open area to the south and perhaps also to the north. Internally, whathas been recorded suggests that the building was divided into two unequalsized rooms, the smaller one at the west end with a mosaic and high-qualitywall plaster painted to resemble Italian marbles. The larger room to the eastwas lit by two south-facing windows and had a floor (not exposed or surviving)at a lower level than that in the west room.

7.2.2 A period of use spanning perhaps the late 1st and early 2nd centuries AD can

be suggested, before the building suffered subsidence at the east end andwas partly demolished and replaced by the period 2 building. The function ofthe period 1 building remains uncertain: a bath-house can almost certainly be


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ruled out, as can a summer dining room associated with the Truckle Hill(North Wraxall) villa, leaving a temple or shrine as other possibilities, thoughthe paucity of finds is of no assistance in this respect.

Period 2

7.2.3 The most significant discovery in 2009 was that the period 1 building was notdirectly replaced by the bath-house, but by a substantial and hithertounsuspected stone building (period 2) which pre-dated the bath-house (period3) excavated in 2007. This newly discovered building, possibly a bath-house,though a nymphaeum, temple or shrine are other possibilities, measuredapproximately 13m square and appears to have incorporated the south andwest walls of its predecessor. The internal layout remains somewhatuncertain though it included at least two tanks or baths and one of the roomscontained a mosaic of which small areas of white tesserae survived. Much ofthe painted wall plaster recovered from the various demolition deposits mayalso derive from the period 2 building. At the south-east corner was the base

of a large platform or tower, possibly the base for a water tank, but thereappears to have been no other structures further to the south on the terrace.Such a tank may have acted as a reservoir for water piped or carried bylaunder from a spring higher up the slope, and then released when requiredfor use in building 2.

7.2.4 The size and extent of the construction terrace for the buildings can now beexplained, for it extended further west into the hill slope than previouslyrealised, thus providing more fill material. The western extent of the terraceallowed space to create the entrance forecourt arrangements to the period 1,2 and 3 buildings, presumably linked by paths and / or steps to the villa site.The extent of this forecourt area (which lies partly outside the site boundary)

has subsequently been almost totally obscured by slope wash / colluvium.Down-slope of building 2, water from the drains may have been channelledvia terraces and water features into the stream below.

7.2.5 The reason the period 2 building was abandoned and levelled is unclear forno evidence for subsidence was apparent. The precise dating for itsconstruction and demolition also remain uncertain, largely because of apaucity of pottery and other datable finds, though construction in the mid 2ndand demolition in the late 2nd / early 3rd century might be provisionallysuggested.

Period 3

7.2.6 An important realisation in 2009 was that what has been previously assumedto be the front (east side, facing down slope) of the period 3 bath-house wasin fact the back, and the back (west side, facing up slope where the villa waslocated) was the front. This has important implications as it now almostcertainly links the use of the bath-house to the villa, and has also led to areconsideration of the layout and function of the rooms within the bath-house.The entrance is now seen to have been on the west side, with the so-calledentrance corridor a later development (related to the operation of the period4 crop-dryer), and the apodyterium possibly divided into an entrance area orvestibule to the south and a changing area to the north. More importantly,what previously was understood to be the caldarium can now be interpretedas the tepidarium, and vice versa. This reversal of use solves the problem ofthe missing furnace, for the annexe to the smaller room, now the caldarium,


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would have housed the furnace, the flue arch having been destroyed and thedoorway to the exterior disturbed, probably during antiquarian investigations.Whether the phase 1 frigidarium / cold bath 1 was dismantled or demolishedbefore the bath-house ceased operation is unclear, though possibly not as alarge part of the roof structure (with re-usable stone tiles and tufa blocks)appears to have been left to collapse into the cold bath / plunge pool. Thiswas, however, sealed by spreads of period 4 crop drying debris, showing thatdemolition / collapse of this room had taken place by this time.

7.2.7 As a result of this revised understanding of the bath-house it is consideredunlikely that further excavation will be necessary to understand this part of thestructural sequence. A construction date in the late 2nd or early 3rd century canbe suggested, with demolition in the late 3rd or early 4th century, broadly assuggested in 2007-8.

Period 4

7.2.8 Excavations in 2009 have clarified further the layout and date of the period 4crop-dryer. These have revealed a typical T-shaped arrangement of Romandate, but with the stoke-hole and flue to the west, not the east as previouslythought. Pottery from the crop-dryer confirms a likely 4th century date, and apost-Roman use can now be ruled-out. No further work is considerednecessary on this crop-dryer.

7.3 Finds

7.3.1 The wall plaster has been cleaned and dried, and the other finds processed. Itis envisaged that the remaining recording will be undertaken within the nextsix months. Subsequent assessment and analysis will be integrated into the

post-excavation programme following the proposed two further seasons offieldwork in 2009 - 10. External specialist input is likely to be required tocontribute to the publication of the important assemblage of painted wallplaster.

7.4 Environmental remains

7.4.1 The single bulk sample has yet to be processed, but it is envisaged that thiswill be undertaken within the next six months. The charred plant remains andcharcoal assemblages will then be rapidly assessed to determine whetherthey are similar to the previously analysed crop drying debris. Anysubsequent analysis of this and the samples taken in 2008 will be integrated

into the post-excavation programme following the proposed two furtherseasons of fieldwork in 2009 - 10.

7.5 Outreach

7.5.1 Following the success of the outreach programme in 2007, 2008 and 2009,which resulted in all of the excavation aims being achieved and in manycases exceeded, it is clear that work during further seasons may beundertaken on the same basis, involving volunteers drawn from a variety ofsources.

7.5.2 The community nature of this project also provides an ideal opportunity toexamine and record any surviving artefacts in museum collections (egDevizes Museum) from the Truckle Hill villa, presumed to be the parent site of


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the earlier buildings as well as the bath-house. This may provide evidence forconnections between these two sites, refining the chronology, sequence ofdevelopment and range / nature of the activities at both sites. With a smallteam of volunteers, recording to assessment level could be rapidly achievedwith minimum specialist input, and the results included in the final publication.

7.6 Publication

7.6.1 In 2012, a post-excavation programme is proposed which will bring togetherthe results of the 2010-11 investigations, integrate them with the results ofthe 2007-9 investigations, re-examine the evidence from the 19th excavationsof the Truckle Hill (North Wraxall) villa, and place the whole in its context ofLate Iron Age and Romano-British settlement in this part of the WiltshireCotswolds. It is anticipated that the results will be more than sufficient tojustify publication of a medium-length (approximately 40 pages) article in thecounty journal. It is also anticipated that the results will be disseminated viamore popular publications, both printed and web-based.

7.7 Archive

7.7.1 The complete site archive (Table 1) from the 2009 excavation, which willinclude paper and digital records, photographic records, graphics, artefactsand ecofacts, will be prepared following the standard conditions for theacceptance of excavated archaeological material by Devizes Museum, and ingeneral following nationally recommended guidelines (SMA 1993; Museumsand Galleries Commission 1994). It will eventually form part of theconsolidated archive for the entire Truckle Hill project which will be depositedat either Devizes Museum or Chippenham Museum.

Table 1. Site Archive

WA Project Code File No. Details No. of sheets Format

58523 1 Index to archive 1 A4

58523 1 Copy of interimreport

27 A4

58523 1 Context index 3 A4

58523 1 Graphics register 2 A4

58523 1 Sample index 1 A4

58523 1 Photo registers XX A4

58523 1 Survey records 6 A4

58523 1 Context sheets 58 A4

58523 1 Context findsrecords XX A4

58523 Roll of drawings Graphics 1 A1

58523 1 Graphics 15 A3

58523 1 Graphics 7 A4

58523 1 Sample records 1 A4

58523 - B & W negs andcontact sheets

Approx XX /XX sheets

35mm

58523 - Digital photographs Approx XX CD

58523 - Finds boxes - X boxes

7.7.2 The site archive from the 2009 excavation is currently held at the offices ofWessex Archaeology under the reference number 58523.


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APPENDIX 1: Context Summary

Context Description Interpretation (Trench)

35 Wall Period 2 building north-south wall on E side (= 39) (P)

36 Wall Period 2 building east-west wall on S side(P)

37 Masonry Period 2 building masonry platform / base (P)38 Wall Period 2 building east-west wall (internal) (Q)

39 Wall Period 2 building north-south wall on E side (= 35) (Q)

40 Wall Period 2 building east-west wall / buttress on E side(Q)

41 Wall Period 4 crop-dryer east-west wall on S side of flue (R)

42 Wall Period 4 crop-dryer east-west wall below S side of chamber (R)

43 Wall Period 4 crop-dryer north-south wall below N side of chamber (R)

44 Wall Period 2 building east-west wall on N side (S, V)

45 Wall Period 1 building east-west wall on S side (= 32) (T)

46 Wall Period 1 building east-west wall on N side (K)

47 Wall Period 4 crop-dryer east-west wall on N side of flue (R)

48 Wall Period 2 building north-south wall (internal) (S, W)

49 Wall Period 2 building east-west wall (internal) (W)50 Structure Group no assigned to Period 4 crop-dryer (R)

300 Surface Mortar surface / make-up deposit (P)

301 Surface Mortar surface / make-up deposit (P)

302 Layer Demolition / foundation deposit (P)

303 Layer Demolition / collapse deposit (P)

304 Layer Demolition deposit (P)


306 Layer Colluvial / abandonment deposit (P)


308Layer Demolition / collapse deposit (P)

309 Layer Demolition / collapse deposit (P)

310 Layer Demolition / foundation deposit (Q)

311 Layer Demolition / foundation deposit (Q)

312 Layer Construction layer (Q)

313 Layer ?Construction layer (Q)

314 Layer Foundation layer (Q)

315 Layer Foundation layer (Q)

316 Layer Op sig lining in bath / tank (Q)

317 Layer Colluvial deposit (P)

318 Layer Fill of hollow (Q)

319 Layer Subsoil (P)

320 Layer Demolition / collapse deposit (Q)

321 Layer Demolition / collapse deposit (Q)322 Layer Demolition / foundation deposit (Q)

323 Layer Collapse / infill layer in crop-dryer (R)

324 Layer Charred grain / fuel layer in crop-dryer (R)

325 Floor Mortar surface with patches of plain, white mosaic surviving(R)

326 Layer Colluvium / subsoil (T)

327 Layer Demolition deposit (T)

328 Layer Demolition deposit (T)

329 Layer ?colluvial deposit (T)

330 Layer Demolition / foundation deposit (U)

331 Surface Small remnant of roughly paved surface (P)

332 Layer Make-up layer (P)

333 Layer Infill / levelling deposit (S)334 Layer Mortar bedding for floor (S)


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20

Context Description Interpretation (Trench)

335 Layer Demolition deposit (K)

336 Layer Foundation / consolidation deposit (W)




340 Layer Sequence of demolition deposits (X)341 Layer Foundation / consolidation deposit (V)


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Date: Revision Number:

Scale: Illustrator:

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1:125 @ A4 RG

Y:\...\58523\...\...\Assessment\10_01_08

Plan of bath-house (period 3 - revised interpretation) and 2009 excavation trenches (P-X) Figure 2

This material is for client report only Wessex Archaeology. No unauthorised reproduction.

176240

176230

383700

383710

Cold bath 2

Cold bath 1

Frigidarium(cold room)

Apodyterium(changing room)

Vestibule

Caldarium(hot room)

Tepidarium(warm room)

Steps

Entrance

Praefurnium

(furnace

room)

D

D

D

D

D

Terrace cut 151

Back

Front

v

W

S

R

RQ

K

T

X

U

P

Area of 2009 excavation

Previously excavated bath-house

Doorway

1

22

2

12

11

3

4

5

7

9

10

13

1415

16

17

18

19

20

21

D

5m0

Wessex

Archaeology


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Scale: Illustrator:

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Plan showing details and projected extent of pre-bath-house buildings (periods 1 & 2) Figure 3


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Painted plaster(and mosaic)

Columnbase

Bath

Bath

Drain

Drain

Entrance

Forecourt

44

44

48

49

Survivingmosaic(325)

39

34

3938

46

30

31

32

48

45

W

W

Period 1 building

Period 2 building


Window openingW

36

35

40

37

Platform

Buttress

5m0

Wessex

Archaeology


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Rear accessto chamber


Scale: Illustrator:

Path:

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1:125 @ A4 RG

Y:\...\58523\...\...\Assessment\10_01_08

Plan showing crop dryer 50 (period 4) within period 3 bath-house,

and approximate extent of associated crop drying debris

Figure 4


176240

176230

383700

383710

6

8

S

F

C

C

Crop dryer

C = Chamber

F = Flue

S = Stoke-hole

= Heavy burningD

Period 4 Crop dryer

Crop drying debris


DoorwayD

42

43

41

50

47

5m0

Wessex

Archaeology


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Date:

Thismaterialforclientreportonly

WessexArchaeology.Nounauthorisedreproduction

RevisionNumber:

Scale:

Illustrator:

Path:

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01_

08\A3_

Photo01.ai

NTS

14/01/10

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0

Plates1-3

Plate1:

Period1building(TrenchK):north-westcorner-walls30and46

(scale=1m;viewfromnorth)

Plate2:Period1building(T

renchK):columnbase34

(scale=1m;viewfr

omsouth-east)

Plate3:Period1building(TrenchU):secondwin

dowopeninginwall32,

adjacenttoperiod3bath-housewall20(scale=1m;viewfrom

east)

Wessex

Archaeology


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Date:



RevisionNumber:

Scale:

Illustrator:

Path:


01_

08\A3_

Photo02.ai

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0

Plates5-6

Plate4:Pe

riod1and2buildings(TrenchP):south-eastcorner,

showingwalls35and36claspingearlier

wa

ll32(toleft),overlainbyperiod3bath-housewalls21/22(scale=1m;viewfromeast)

Plate5:Period2building(TrenchP):platform37(scale=2m;viewfromsouth-east)

Plate6:Period2building(TrenchQ):wall39

andassociatedbaths/tanks(noteblockedtile-lineddrain),

overlainbyperiod3bath-housewalls

10and7/22;wall40inbackground(scale=1m;viewfrom

north-east

Wessex

Archaeology


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Date:



RevisionNumber:

Scale:

Illustrator:

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01_

08\A3_

Photo03.ai

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0

Plates7-9

Plate7:

Period2building(TrenchV):wall44,overlainbyper

iod3

bath-housewall3totheleft;period3bath-housewa

ll17tothe

right(scale=1m;viewfromsouth-west)

Plate8:Period2building(TrenchW):wall49,overlainbylayered

foundationsforperiod3bath-housewall5totheleft;wall48

overlainbyperiod3

bath-housewall16totheright(scale=1m;

viewfromnorth-eas

t)

Plate9:Period4crop-dryer50(TrenchR:thehearthintheflueliesin

theforeground,withremnantsofperiod2

mosaicfloorand

associatedmortarbedding(325)survivin

ginthebaseofthe

stoke-hole,flueandchamber(scale=1m

;viewfromwest)

Wessex

Archaeology


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Trowbridge Young Archaeologists Club site visit

truckle hill 2009

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