Roman BritainCromwell
Roman Villa · Civilian

Cromwell

Roman Britain
Pleiades ID: 79408
Site type
Villa
Category
Civilian
Latitude
53.1442
Longitude
-0.8069
Overview

History & context

Cromwell is the site of a Romano-British villa located in the Trent valley of north Nottinghamshire, on the west bank of the river near the modern village of Cromwell. Like other villas in this region, it most likely flourished in the 2nd–4th centuries AD as the residence and working centre of an agricultural estate exploiting the fertile alluvial soils of the Trent floodplain.

Source: Pleiades — A Community-Built Gazetteer and Graph of Ancient Places. View the Pleiades record →

Significance

Historical significance

The site forms part of a thin but distinct scatter of villas along the middle Trent corridor, an area within the civitas of the Corieltauvi where rural estates supplied produce to nearby small towns and to the legionary fortress and colonia at Lincoln (Lindum) some 20 km to the northeast. Its riverside position would have facilitated transport of grain and livestock along the Trent.

Archaeology

Archaeological record

Little has been published in detail about the Cromwell villa; it is recorded in the Barrington Atlas and regional Historic Environment Record on the basis of surface finds, cropmarks, and limited fieldwork rather than large-scale excavation, with evidence including building materials, pottery, and probable enclosure ditches. No substantial mosaic, hypocaust, or bath complex has been firmly published from the site, and its plan and full chronology remain poorly understood.

About this site

Questions & answers

What is Cromwell?

Cromwell is the site of a Romano-British villa located in the Trent valley of north Nottinghamshire, on the west bank of the river near the modern village of Cromwell. It is recorded in the Pleiades gazetteer of ancient places as a villa site from the Roman period in Britain.

What type of Roman site is Cromwell?

Cromwell is classified as a Roman villa — a civilian site in the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer. Roman Britain's archaeology encompasses thousands of sites ranging from legionary fortresses and marching camps to villas, temples and towns.

What other Roman sites are near Cromwell?

Several Roman sites lie within a short distance, including Holme Roman temporary camp (2.5 km), Crococalana (4.9 km), Crococalana Roman town (5 km). Aubrey Research maps over 2,200 Roman sites across Britain, drawn from the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer.

How can I research the history of the area around Cromwell?

Aubrey Research generates detailed historical reports for any location in Britain, incorporating Roman heritage, Domesday Book records, scheduled monument data, archaeological finds and much more. Enter a nearby address to begin.

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