Monument record MDO5203 - Roman Villa at Little Kington Farm, West Stour

Roman settlement established by field walking 1.25 km from Little Kington Farm. The 1842 Tithe Map names the field ‘Chesters Well’. Within a comparatively confined area some 135 x 45 m inside the hedge forming the north boundary of the field were found a number of sherds, including Black Burnished Ware, Samian and New Forest Ware. Field walking recovered nearly a kilogram of Roman pottery, including 2nd-century central Gaulish Samian, 3rd-4th century black-burnished ware, flange-rimmed bowls, tesserae and tile fragments. <1>

Further field walking extended the area of the settlement and added tesserae, box tile fragments and stone roofing tiles to the range of material found, suggesting a substantial and prosperous Roman building, which in this case is almost certainly a villa. Field walking in the area in 1985 recovered enough pottery and building material to suggest a properous Roman building, probably a villa, of C2nd-C3rd date. <2>

<1> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1985, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1984, 118 (Serial). SDO84.

<2> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1986, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1985, 164-165 (Serial). SDO85.

<3> National Record of the Historic Environment, 888737 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Feb 11 2022 6:35PM