Roman BritainRoman villa in and adjacent to Denbeck Wood
Roman Villa · Civilian

Roman villa in and adjacent to Denbeck Wood

Roman Britain
Pleiades ID: nhle-18906
Site type
Villa
Category
Civilian
Latitude
52.8190
Longitude
0.5422
Overview

History & context

The Denbeck Wood villa lies in west Norfolk, in the rural hinterland between the Fen edge and the Icenian heartland, in an area that saw substantial agricultural development from the later 1st century AD onward. Like other villas in this region, it is likely to have been a modest farmstead established in the post-Boudican period and developed into a more substantial stone-footed building during the 2nd to 4th centuries, occupied until at least the later 4th century.

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

Significance

Historical significance

Villas in this part of Norfolk represent the agricultural exploitation of fertile soils on the margins of the Fens, supplying grain and other produce that may have moved via the Fen waterways and the road network connecting to Venta Icenorum (Caistor St Edmund). The site contributes to a still-sparse distribution of confirmed villas in Norfolk, a civitas where villa-style architecture was less common than in the south and west of the province.

About this site

Questions & answers

What is Roman villa in and adjacent to Denbeck Wood?

The Denbeck Wood villa lies in west Norfolk, in the rural hinterland between the Fen edge and the Icenian heartland, in an area that saw substantial agricultural development from the later 1st century AD onward. 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 Roman villa in and adjacent to Denbeck Wood?

Roman villa in and adjacent to Denbeck Wood 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 Roman villa in and adjacent to Denbeck Wood?

Several Roman sites lie within a short distance, including Congham Roman settlement (3.7 km), Grimston (5.2 km), Roman villa adjoining Watery Lane (6 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 Roman villa in and adjacent to Denbeck Wood?

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