Trowupburn Roman period native enclosed settlement, 120m north of Trowupburn Farm

Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places

Overview

Heritage Category:: Scheduled Monument
List Entry Number:: 1014507
Date first listed:: 20-May-1996

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Scheduled Monument
List Entry Number:: 1014507
Date first listed:: 20-May-1996

Location

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

District:: Northumberland (Unitary Authority)
Parish:: Kirknewton
National Park:: NORTHUMBERLAND
National Grid Reference:: NT 87619 26644

Reasons for Designation

In Cumbria and Northumberland several distinctive types of native settlements dating to the Roman period have been identified. The majority were small, non- defensive, enclosed homesteads or farms. In many areas they were of stone construction, although in the coastal lowlands timber-built variants were also common. In much of Northumberland, especially in the Cheviots, the enclosures were curvilinear in form. Further south a rectangular form was more common. Elsewhere, especially near the Scottish border, another type occurs where the settlement enclosure was `scooped' into the hillslope. Frequently the enclosures reveal a regularity and similarity of internal layout. The standard layout included one or more stone round-houses situated towards the rear of the enclosure, facing the single entranceway. In front of the houses were pathways and small enclosed yards. Homesteads normally had only one or two houses, but larger enclosures could contain as many as six. At some sites the settlement appears to have grown, often with houses spilling out of the main enclosure and clustered around it. At these sites up to 30 houses may be found. In the Cumbrian uplands the settlements were of less regimented form and unenclosed clusters of houses of broadly contemporary date are also known. These homesteads were being constructed and used by non-Roman natives throughout the period of the Roman occupation. Their origins lie in settlement forms developed before the arrival of the Romans. These homesteads are common throughout the uplands where they frequently survive as well-preserved earthworks. In lowland coastal areas they were also originally common, although there they can frequently only be located through aerial photography. All homestead sites which survive substantially intact will normally be identified as nationally important.

The settlement is in good condition despite pasture improvement and appears to be substantially intact. It is one of a number of similar sites in this area and will contribute to any study of Romano-British settlement patterns in this area.

Details

The monument includes an enclosed settlement typical of the Roman period. It is situated on a slight south facing slope, north of Trowupburn Farm. The settlement sits within an improved field, close to the farm track. To the north of the settlement are the remains of cultivation terraces. The full extent and nature of these terraces is not yet fully understood, hence they are not included in the monument. The settlement has been scooped into the hillside and consists of a circular enclosure, now grass covered, with slight remains of two house platforms inside measuring up to 8m in diameter. The enclosure measures 18.8m east-west and 16m north-south. The southern bank of the enclosure is very slight, but the northern bank survives to a height of approximately 2m where it has been scooped into the slope. A modern electricity switch which is located on the southern perimeter of the monument is excluded from the scheduling, but the ground beneath it is included.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract. It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features, considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:: 24604
Legacy System:: RSM

Legal

This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.