Roman BritainScampton
Roman Villa · Civilian

Scampton

Roman Britain
Pleiades ID: 79674
Site type
Villa
Category
Civilian
Latitude
53.3017
Longitude
-0.5740
Overview

History & context

Scampton was the site of a Romano-British villa located just north of Lincoln (Lindum Colonia), in the Lincoln Edge limestone country. Investigated in the late 18th century, it appears to have been a moderately substantial courtyard or winged-corridor villa, probably active from the 2nd through 4th centuries AD, typical of the prosperous rural estates clustering around the colonia.

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

Significance

Historical significance

Its proximity to Lincoln and the line of Ermine Street places it firmly within the agricultural hinterland supplying the colonia, part of a notable concentration of villas exploiting the fertile limestone heath north of the city. It is one of the relatively few villas identified in this sector of Lindsey.

Archaeology

Archaeological record

The site was excavated in 1795 by the Rev. Charles Illingworth, who recorded mosaic pavements, painted wall plaster, hypocaust remains and walls of several rooms, published with plans in his account of the discovery — making it one of the earliest recorded villa excavations in Lincolnshire. Little modern fieldwork has been undertaken on the site, and much of what is known derives from these antiquarian records.

About this site

Questions & answers

What is Scampton?

Scampton was the site of a Romano-British villa located just north of Lincoln (Lindum Colonia), in the Lincoln Edge limestone country. 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 Scampton?

Scampton 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 Scampton?

Several Roman sites lie within a short distance, including Roman villa W of Scampton Cliff Farm (0.8 km), Roman barrow 620m north of Riseholme Hall (4.3 km), Owmby Roman settlement (7.4 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 Scampton?

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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