Monument record MDO7470 - Romano-British well shrine at Norden, Corfe Castle

Romano British well, including drystone approach wall and floor. Pottery (decorated Samian), metal work, bones and coins also found as well as two inscribed limestone altars.

The discovery by P A Brown of a well-shrine at SY958826 has led to its excavation, commencing in 1972 with the object of obtaining further information on its ritual significance. Evidence for its ritual character in the main arises from Brown's discovery of two small uninscribed limestone altars at the well entrance, one in association with the wall structure and the other lying nearby on the chalk floor, and by the presence of a complete sheep's skull deposited at the bottom of the well. The well appears to have had two structural phases, firstly as a simple cylindrical shaft, elaborated in the second phase by the widening of the top to about 3 metres with a flight of steps of dressed stone leading down to water level. The relationship to the well of dry-stone walls and floors of limestone and chalk has not yet been determined. Finds indicating occupation between the late 1st and early 5th centuries include Samian and other pottery, metal-work, animal bones and coins. Evidence of shale working and manufacture of chalk tesserae shows a clear link with the adjoining industrial site. <1>

The excavation of the well site was completed in 1973,and it was completely back-filled. Finds will be deposited in the County Museum. The large number of coins found overall, the well itself with its rather grand approach, the two uninscribed altars, and the tentative evidence of what may be votive pottery similar to examples from religious contexts on Hadrian's Wall, suggest that the well and the associated building may have been of religious character. <2>

A Romano-British sacred well was discovered and partially excavated by P A Brown just south of Corfe Castle. Further excavation was carried out in 1972 by Southampton University. The site is situated on a small ‘peninsula’ between disused 19th century clay workings and the Swanage to Wareham railway. The clay workings and construction/ removal of the railway has led to the inversion of the ancient occupation layers which has made interpretation of the site problematic until detailed levelling produced evidence of how the stratification had formed.

The well is 2 to 3 metres deep, 0.9 metres in diameter at the bottom and approximately 3 metres wide at the top. There may have been two constructional phases, both using drystone wall methods. The first phase consisted a simple cylindrical well shaft made of rough undressed local stone of varying sizes. The second phase was more elaborate which widened the shaft into a funnel shaped approach and a flight of dressed stone steps leading down to the water level. Th walls of the well were built up in this phase using shaped stones of similar sizes and some repair work may have also been carried out, including insertion of chalk blocks into cracks and gaps in the stonework.
Other structural features include the remains of a rough drystone wall built on foundations of chalk blocks and running north to south across the site, and which may be associated with the well approach structure as the area between these features consisted of a chalk floor that has been well worn in parts. Two other possible walls of similar construction have been located on the other side of the north-south wall, but the relationship between the structures has not been determined.

Material evidence from the 1972 excavation includes pottery, including decorated samian, metal work, animal bones, building materials and coins. There was also evidence on shale working and manufacture of chalk tesserae. Evidence of the ritual character of the site is provided by two small inscribed limestone alters found near the well entrance and by the presence of a complete sheeps skull deposited at the bottom of the well. <1-2>

Historic England, Historic England Archive (Index). SDO14738.

Object Number Object Title Scope And Content
BB90/00340 ROMAN WELL
BB90/00403 UNCAPTIONED VIEW OF SITE
BB90/00404 SHAFT OF WELL
BB90/00405 FLOOR OF SITE
BB90/00406 STEPS FROM NORTH
BB90/00407 SHAFT WALL OF WELL
BB90/00408 VIEW FROM S. N/S WALL AND TRIAL TRENCH
BB90/00409 WELL FROM NORTH
BB90/00410 TO ILLUSTRATE ARCH. FEATURE RELATING TO POSTHOLES IN DOORWAYS AT THIS SITE
BB90/00412 UNCAPTION PHOTOGRAPH
BB90/00413 THRESHOLD SLABS
BB90/00414 SMALL EXCAVATION BY P.A.B. OF THE E/W RIDGE
BB90/00415 S.END OF N/S WALL(CHALF) & LIMESTONE WALL RUNNING E. WITH DRAINAGE DITCH BETWEEN
BB90/00416 N/E CORNER OF BUILDING E. OF WELL
BB90/00417 6" WIDE CHALK WALL FROM N.
BB90/00418 CORNER BETWEEN N/S WALL AND W.END. E/W WALL WITH E.THRESHOLD
BB90/00419 AREA S. OF E/W WALL & N/S WALL IN FOREGROUND
BB90/00420 VIEW FROM ABOVE S. NORDEN WELL SITE. REMAINS OF FLAG FLOOR ON N/W CORNER OF ROOM
BB90/00421 INTERIOR OF BUILDING - FLAG FLOOR
BB90/00422 LOOKING N. TO THE SOCKETED THRESHOLD STONES
BB90/00423 SHOWING DITCH CUT THROUGH HEARTH
BB90/00424 W. EDGE OF WELL - WALL SEEN TO RIGHT & CRUDE FLAGSTONE HEARTH
BB90/00425 S.END OF N/S WELL ON S.FLANK OF RIDGE AND JUST N. OF SOUTHERN STREAM
BB90/00426 W. OF WELL LOOKING E. SHOWING CRUDE HEARTH & WELL WALL 6' AWAY
BB90/00427 FOUND BY P.A.B ON FLAGSTONE FLOOR E. OF N/S WALL. NF VESSEL
BB90/00428 ALTAR STONE
BB90/00429 MASONRY BLOCKS
BB90/00430 POTTERY VESSELS
BB90/00431 FOUND BY P.A.B. ON FLAGSTONE FLOOR LEVEL E. OF N/S WALL
BB90/00432 WELL AND STEPS LOOKING NORTH
BB90/00433 6" WIDE CHALK WALL RUNNING N/S FROM N/E
BB90/00434 R/B POTS FROM WELL FILLING & FLAGON HANDLE FROM RUBBLE ON FLOOR OF BUILDING
BB90/00435 TWO MUGS FOUND IN WELL
BB90/00436 KIMMERIDGE SHALE TABLE LEG
BB90/00437 ALTAR STONES
BB90/00438 R/B POTS FOUND IN WELL-FILLING & FLAGON HANDLE FROM RUBBLE ON FLOOR OF BUILDING
BB90/00439 R/B TERRACOTTA FIGURE FOUND IN HEARTH BY P.A.B. (6" LONG)
BB90/00440 BRONZE FLAGON FOUND UNDER POST ROMAN SLAB TRACKWAY
BB90/00441 FOUND BY P.A.B. EXCAV. OF N/W CORNER OF BUILDING IN RUBBLE ABOVE FLAGSTONE FLOOR LEVEL
BB90/00442 BRONZE JUG FOUND UNDER LARGE FLAGS - S.E. CORNER
BB90/00443 N.OF CLAY RLWY. BRONZE JUG FROM BELOW POST RO.FLAGSTONE TRACK.
BB90/00445 FLINT ARTEFACTS FROM THIS AND GENERAL AREA
BB90/00446 VIEW LOOKING DOWN WELL SHAFT
BB90/00447 VIEW OF FUNNEL-SHAPED SEMI-CIRCULAR CONSTRUCTION FORMING 5'
BB90/00458 GENERAL VIEW OF SITE
BB90/00459 GENERAL VIEW OF SITE
BB90/00460 GENERAL VIEW OF SITE
BB90/00461 TOP OF WELL SHAFT
BB90/00462 PART OF TEMPLE BLDNG & WELL FROM E. DOORWAY SLABS IN E/W WALL FOUNDATION
BB90/00463 ALTAR STONE IN SITU
BB90/00464 N/E CORNER OF BLDNG. E. OF WALL SHOWING CORNER OF SANDSTONE BLOCK E/W WALL FOUNDATIONS
BB90/00465 SECTION OF E/W WALL BETWEEN TWO THRESHOLDS
BB90/00466 N/E CORNER OF BLDNG SHOWING E/W LIMESTONE WALL
BB90/00467 LOOKING E. EARLY DIG ALONG THE BANK E/W VIEW TO E OF N/S WALL
BB90/00468 VIEW FROM N. SHOWING 2 TOP STEPS BUILT INTO E.WALL OF WELL SHAFT
BB90/00469 OVERGROWN NATURE OF SITE. FRGRD SHOWS TOP OF FLIGHT OF STAIRS
BB90/00470 VIEW FROM N.LOOKING AT PART.EXPOSED WELL UNDER AN OVERGROWN E/W BANK
BB90/00471 THINLY COVERED AFTER SHARG EXCAV. JUNCT.OF E/W WALL & N/S WALL
BB90/00472 TWO BLOCKS OF MASONRY WITH POSTHOLES FOR POST SUPPORTS
BB90/00473 VIEW LOOKING S. FOREGROUND WESTERN THRESHOLD
BB90/00477 LOOKING DOWN FUNNEL-SHAPED WELL-SHAFT - MOST OF FLIGHT SHOWING
BB90/00478 LOOKING DOWN W.FROM TOP OF RIDGE ON E/W WALL & TWO SEPARATED THRESHOLDS
BB90/00479 FOREGROUND, N/S WELL, RIGHT TO LEFT WITH E END OF WALL
BB90/00480 LOOKING W. FOREGROUND WESTERN DOORWAY THROUGH DRAIN COVER
BB90/00481 E. SECTION OF E/W WALL INC. E.THRESHOLD SLABS WITH POST SUPPORT NICHES
BB90/00482 LOOKING W. N/S WALL IN FOREGROUND - E/W WALL IN BACKGROUND
BB90/00483 VIEW FROM N. SHOWING STEP CONTEMP. WITH E.WALL OF WELL SHAFT
BB90/00484 SHOWING W. WALL OF FUNNEL SHAPED STRUCTURE BUILD OF SANDSTONE
BB90/00485 VIEW OF WELL FROM ABOVE
BB90/00532 WELL-OBLIQUE VIEW
BB90/00533 TEMPLE WITH WATER COVERED FLOOR
BB90/00538 WELL- OBLIQUE VIEW
BB90/00541 TEMPLE - WATER COVERED FLOOR
BB90/00550 ROMAN WELL
BB90/00561 4' SECT. OF DRAIN TO W. OF BLDNG. DRAIN COVER SLAB AND EASTERN SUPPORT WALL BRIDING E/W DITCH CUT IN SAND.
BB90/00569 2 MUGS FOUND IN WELL
BB90/00570 FOUND ON FLAGSTONE FLOOR-FLUTED GRAY BROWN NEW FOREST VESSEL
BB90/00571 FOUND ON FLAGSTONE FLOOR EAST OF WALL: SMALL FLUTED N.F. VASE
BB90/00572 GENERAL VIEW OF SITE
BB90/00573 ALTAR STONE
BB90/00574 WELL
BB90/00575 FOUND IN WELL

<1> Hughes, Michael, 1972, A Romano-British Sacred Well at Norden, Corfe Castle, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society 94, 76-77 (Article in serial). SWX779.

<2> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1974, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1973, 91 (Serial). SDO73.

<3> National Record of the Historic Environment, 456816 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Mar 2 2024 7:18AM