Roman BritainRomano-British temple, Iron Age ditches, earthwork enclosure and associated buildings 240m and 370m north of Fosse Barn
Roman Temple · Religious

Romano-British temple, Iron Age ditches, earthwork enclosure and associated buildings 240m and 370m north of Fosse Barn

Roman Britain
Pleiades ID: nhle-17784
Site type
Temple
Category
Religious
Latitude
51.4900
Longitude
-2.2572
Overview

History & context

This is the Romano-British temple complex at Nettleton Scrubb (Nettleton Shrub), Wiltshire, situated in the valley of the Broadbrook on the line of the Fosse Way. The site was active from the late Iron Age through to the late 4th century AD, developing from a small circular shrine into an elaborate octagonal temple dedicated to Apollo Cunomaglos ("Apollo the Hound-Lord"), surrounded by priests' houses, hostelries, workshops and an associated settlement.

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

Significance

Historical significance

Nettleton was one of the most important rural cult centres in the West Country, a roadside religious complex on the Fosse Way drawing pilgrims and trade, comparable in character to nearby Bath and the temples at Uley and Lydney. The dedicatory altar to Apollo Cunomaglos, recovered here, is the only known epigraphic attestation of this hybrid Romano-Celtic deity in Britain.

Archaeology

Archaeological record

W.J. Wedlake's excavations between 1956 and 1971 (published 1982) revealed the sequence from an Iron Age presence through a circular Romano-Celtic shrine, a podium temple, and finally the distinctive octagonal temple of c. AD 230, with evidence of partial Christian conversion or iconoclasm in the late 4th century. Finds included the Cunomaglos altar, votive bronzes (notably hunting imagery — dogs and stags), coin

About this site

Questions & answers

What is Romano-British temple, Iron Age ditches, earthwork enclosure and associated buildings 240m and 370m north of Fosse Barn?

This is the Romano-British temple complex at Nettleton Scrubb (Nettleton Shrub), Wiltshire, situated in the valley of the Broadbrook on the line of the Fosse Way. It is recorded in the Pleiades gazetteer of ancient places as a temple site from the Roman period in Britain.

What type of Roman site is Romano-British temple, Iron Age ditches, earthwork enclosure and associated buildings 240m and 370m north of Fosse Barn?

Romano-British temple, Iron Age ditches, earthwork enclosure and associated buildings 240m and 370m north of Fosse Barn is classified as a Roman temple — a religious 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 temple, Iron Age ditches, earthwork enclosure and associated buildings 240m and 370m north of Fosse Barn?

Several Roman sites lie within a short distance, including North Wraxall (1.5 km), Nettleton (1.6 km), Colerne (5.1 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 temple, Iron Age ditches, earthwork enclosure and associated buildings 240m and 370m north of Fosse Barn?

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Research the area around Romano-British temple, Iron Age ditches, earthwork enclosure and associated buildings 240m and 370m north of Fosse Barn