Roman BritainRomano-British farmstead, 850m west of Little Swinburne Reservoir
Roman Site · Civilian

Romano-British farmstead, 850m west of Little Swinburne Reservoir

Roman Britain
Pleiades ID: nhle-7864
Site type
Site
Category
Civilian
Latitude
55.0885
Longitude
-2.1012
Overview

History & context

This is a small native farmstead in the uplands of north Northumberland, lying in the hinterland behind Hadrian's Wall about 10km north of the Wall itself. Such sites in this region were typically occupied from the later 1st or 2nd century AD through the 3rd-4th centuries, comprising a rectilinear or sub-rectangular enclosure containing stone-founded roundhouses and small yards, supporting a mixed pastoral and arable economy on marginal land.

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

Significance

Historical significance

The site forms part of the dense scatter of indigenous farmsteads in the North Tyne–Redesdale uplands that persisted under Roman rule, representing the rural population whose surpluses (particularly livestock, hides, and grain) likely helped provision the Wall garrisons. It is unremarkable individually but significant as one of many such enclosures demonstrating continuity of native settlement patterns in the militarised zone.

Archaeology

Archaeological record

The site is known primarily through aerial photography and field survey rather than excavation, identifiable as an earthwork or cropmark enclosure with internal hut circles characteristic of the regional "Iron Age/Romano-British" tradition. No published excavation results are known to me for this specific farmstead, and dating rests on morphological parallels with excavated sites such as Kennel Hall Knowe and Tower Knowe in the North Tyne valley.

About this site

Questions & answers

What is Romano-British farmstead, 850m west of Little Swinburne Reservoir?

This is a small native farmstead in the uplands of north Northumberland, lying in the hinterland behind Hadrian's Wall about 10km north of the Wall itself. It is recorded in the Pleiades gazetteer of ancient places as a site site from the Roman period in Britain.

What type of Roman site is Romano-British farmstead, 850m west of Little Swinburne Reservoir?

Romano-British farmstead, 850m west of Little Swinburne Reservoir is classified as a Roman site — 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 Romano-British farmstead, 850m west of Little Swinburne Reservoir?

Several Roman sites lie within a short distance, including Romano-British farmstead, 600m west of Little Swinburne Reservoir (0.2 km), Romano-British farmstead, 540m north of Reaver Crag Farm (1.1 km), Romano-British farmstead, 750m east of Camphill Farm (1.5 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 Romano-British farmstead, 850m west of Little Swinburne Reservoir?

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