Sussex Archaeology and History
Photo by DAVID ILIFF. License: CC BY-SA 3.0
On the road in the Western Roman Empire: ancient motels, caravanserai and emporia
Tony King
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There have been roadside settlements since the beginning of Roman road construction in Italy, and probably also long before the Via Appia, Via Flaminia, etc. were formally constituted. This introductory talk starts in Italy with the Forum sites found along several of the major roads, and looks at excavations at Bedriacum and elsewhere. We then move to Gaul, where major sites emerged on some of the well-used routes running from the Mediterranean and the Rhone river ports towards the Roman frontiers and Britannia. Sites such as Malain have good evidence for taverns, cellars, hostels, markets and temples. They were also on the cursus publicus, and served as emporia or caravanserai on the official network of routes, encapsulated in the Antonine Itinerary, the Tabula Peutingeriana, the Notitia Dignitatum and other documents. As for Britain, sites such as Alfoldean, Godmanchester, Water Newton and Catterick are the equivalent in terms of their purpose and usage. Finally, the talk examines sites on river/road crossing points, such as Nursling, where there are few buildings but evidence for trading and temporary activities. Were these roadside settlements, and if so, were there many similar sites in South-East Britain that need to be investigated?
Cellars and shops in the roadside settlement at Malain in Gaul
Professor Tony King
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Tony is Emeritus Professor of Roman Archaeology at the University of Winchester. After graduating with a BA from the Institute of Archaeology, London, in 1975, specialising in Roman archaeology, he went on to PhD research on Roman samian ware (terra sigillata), also at the Institute of Archaeology, completed in 1985. Meanwhile, he developed teaching at the universities of London, Winchester, Maryland (European Division) and elsewhere, and research interests in Romano-British religion, villa economies, Italy in the 1st millennium BC to the 1st millennium AD, and vertebrate zooarchaeology. Tony was Visiting Research Fellow at the Institute of Classical Studies, University of London, 2001-02, and is currently President of the Association for Roman Archaeology.
Mike Luke
As a schoolboy, living in Surrey, Mike developed an early passion for archaeology which has culminated in a close connection with Alfoldean for over 50 years. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Mike was a frequent visitor to Alfoldean, and as a young member of numerous local archaeology groups (including the Surrey and Sussex Archaeological Societies), he attended any excavations they undertook. Early work by Mike included surveying the earthworks and fieldwalking for which he won the Young Archaeologist Club award in 1981. In 1983 a 1km JCB trench was dug through the site with no archaeological supervision and Mike, and other local archaeologists, most notably Judie English, then spent two years recording the length of the trench during weekends and evenings.
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Mike studied archaeology at Cardiff University where, perhaps, inevitably his undergraduate dissertation was on Alfoldean. This included visiting all museums with finds from Winbolt’s excavations, and even meeting Winbolt’s grandson. In 2000, Mike wrote up the results of his and others’ work at Alfoldean, which was published in the Sussex Archaeological Collections. In 2005 he was invited to join the Time Team investigations at Alfoldean.
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Since 1989, Mike has worked for Albion Archaeology and he has published numerous monographs and articles on a variety of archaeological sites in the East Midlands. Mike is an Honorary Research Fellow at Cardiff University. He has worked on several research & training excavations- most recently at Hinton St. Mary in Dorset and Wroxeter in Shropshire Last year he completed two terms as the secretary of the Archaeology Committee of the Roman Society.
Alfoldean: What do we know after 100 years of archaeological investigation?
Mike Luke
The Roman roadside settlement at Alfoldean is located on Stane Street near Horsham, in the heart of the Sussex Weald.
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This talk will summarise investigations that have taken place at the site over the last 100 years. These include those by Winbolt (1923, 1924), Luke, English and others (Luke and Wells 2000; Luke 2016), Time Team (2005) and the Horsham District Archaeology Group - most recently in association with University College London and Archaeology South East.
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Through fieldwalking and geophysical survey the settlement is now known to extend over 11ha. The settlement is perhaps best known for its small, internal defended enclosure. This shares some similarities with other roadside settlements in West Sussex, namely Hardham and Iping/Milland. Newly produced plans of the overall roadside settlement at Alfoldean and of the mansio building will be shown as part of this talk.
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Although we have learnt a lot about the site since the excavations by Winbolt 100 years ago, there is still much yet to discover. Unfortunately, like so many sites, it is being progressively destroyed by annual ploughing, and therefore new investigations will be crucial for retrieving information before it is lost forever.
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The Horsham District Archaeological Group will display their recent finds from the site.
David Staveleys Alfoldean Interpretation March 2014
Four coin-rich roadside settlements in Surrey
David Callow
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Skilled metal detectorists working with Finds Liaison Officers are discovering previously unsuspected wide-area Roman rural sites. Magnetometry is an effective way to check for underlying archaeology and QGIS helps present and analyse results.
Four Surrey Roman roadside settlements - Godstone, Dorking, West Clandon and Flexford – provide good opportunities to study the evidence to try to work out what they were, why they were there and set them into context.
Roman copper alloy quadruped from Flexford - height 35mm
David Callow
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David started Roman archaeology at 15 working in school and student holidays on rescue sites in Leicester. When he couldn’t see how he could make archaeology pay he decided to go to Business School, retire early and then get back on site. After 30 years in industry and travelling the world he joined Surrey Archaeological Society and did Masters degrees at Winchester and Reading. Lucky breaks were being amongst a great team of people, finding magnetometry, QGIS and the Flexford site and having a family that like archaeology.
Chris Butler, MIfA, FSA, Cert. Ed.
Managing Director, CBAS Ltd
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Chris Butler has been an archaeologist since 1985 and formed the Mid Sussex Field Archaeological Team in 1987. He was a part-time lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Sussex, and taught A-Level Archaeology at Bexhill 6th Form College having qualified (Cert. Ed.) as a teacher in 2006. Chris formed Chris Butler Archaeological Services Ltd c. 20 years ago. Chris is a Member of the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists, and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London. Chris specialises in prehistoric flintwork analysis, and his publications include Prehistoric Flintwork, East Sussex Under Attack and West Sussex Under Attack as well as many articles and reports.
The Roman settlement at Hassocks in its landscape setting, and its Anglo-Saxon successor
Chris Butler
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​Hassocks has long been an enigma to archaeologists. Since the discovery of the Roman and Saxon cemetery at Hassocks during quarrying activity in the early 20th century it has been suspected that there was an associated settlement nearby, although the exact location and extent of any settlement has remained elusive. This talk looks at the work of the Mid Sussex Field Archaeological Team and others at Hassocks and at sites within its landscape, together with its Angle Saxon successor.
Bridge Farm: The nature of a defended settlement at the junction of two Roman roads and the River Ouse
Blake Galloway
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The Culver Archaeological Project (CAP) is a community-driven initiative focused on uncovering the historical landscape of the Sussex Ouse Valley, near Lewes, England. Established in 2005, CAP has been investigating the Romano-British settlement at Bridge Farm, Barcombe Mills, which dates from the late 1st to mid-4th century. This site, strategically located at the junction of Roman roads and the River Ouse, features a bivallate defensive enclosure ditches and evidence of a vibrant settlement. Since excavations started at Bridge Farm in 2013 we have investigated the nature of this settle, and it’s standing in the wider Roman landscape. CAP engages volunteers, students, and local residents in annual summer excavations, encompassing surveying, excavation, and artifact analysis. The project continues to shed light on rural Roman-era settlements in Sussex, promising further discoveries with each passing year.
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Bivallate defensive enclosure ditches refer to a fortification system consisting of two parallel ditches that surround an enclosure, often accompanied by corresponding ramparts (earthwork banks). This design was commonly used during the Iron Age and Roman periods to provide enhanced protection for settlements, military sites, or other important locations. The dual ditch structure created multiple obstacles for potential attackers, making it more difficult for them to approach the defended area. These enclosures could also signify social status or control over resources, showcasing the strategic and architectural ingenuity of the period.
Blake Galloway
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Blake completed his undergraduate in archaeology at Canterbury Christ Church University between 2020 - 2023. After that, he worked in commercial archaeology as a field archaeologist and public engagement officer for the Canterbury Archaeological Trust for a year where he had the opportunities to excavate many wonderful sites and work with some incredible people. Currently, he is studying at University College London completing a Masters which he has been doing since September last year. He has been involved with the Culver Archaeological Project for five seasons when he attended as a student in 2021 to complete two years of field work. For the last three years he has been returning every summer as a supervisor helping to supervise excavation, volunteers, and students!
Matt Sparkes
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Matt Sparkes is the Surrey and Greater London correspondent for Itinera, the journal of the Roman Roads Research Association. His archaeological education was at Liverpool (BA) and Sheffield (MA). His main areas of research are Roman Road 150 (London – Hassocks) and the Mere Bank (a supposed Roman road running along the course of the long straight Sutton – Croydon boundary).”
Dr David Rudling
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David, who studied anthropology as an undergraduate, continued at University College London (at the Institute of Archaeology) and was awarded a Masters in Roman Archaeology. Subsequently he studied for his doctorate at the University of Roehampton. David is currently the Academic Director of Sussex Archaeology and History. Previously, he was Senior Lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Sussex, and prior to this Director of Archaeology South-East which is part of UCL. His main research interests include Roman rural settlements and land-use, religion and ritual in Roman Britain, and ancient and medieval numismatics. He is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, a Member of the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists, Chairman of the Brighton and Hove Archaeological Society, and a Vice-President of the Surrey Archaeological Society.
Roman Croydon: the course of the road and the location of the settlement
Matt Sparkes and David Rudling
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The settlement of Roman Croydon is poorly understood. Studies on the course of the Roman road through the present town and research into the form of the Roman settlement have taken place in almost complete isolation and reached very different conclusions. This talk seeks to reassess the evidence in relation to the road, demonstrating that all evidence supports Ivan Margary's suggested route through the Old Town area. The settlement evidence, which had conventionally been thought to indicate a road line c 400m further to the east, is reinterpreted and shown to be consistent with the idea that the settlement was primarily located along Margary's Old Town road line. (David Rudling will present, based on recent research by Matt Sparkes published in Surrey Archaeological Collections 106)
Part of the 1800 enclosure map of Croydon, i.e. Broad Green and the land boundary to the west of the Green which Bray and Margary interpreted as the continuation of the alignment south from Streatham (and towards Old Town).
Icklesham: Which came first, the chicken or the settlement?
David Staveley
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​In most of Roman lowland Britain, the prevailing method of laying out Roman roads is to plan central hubs, and radiate roads between those hubs, with roadside settlements placed along those roads. The eastern Weald is different, with a different agency in control of construction. Here, there are no central hubs. There are only industrial settlements placed according to the needs of the industry, with connecting roads between them placed as an afterthought. This talk will discuss the settlement and road patterns in the area, including new research focused on the area surrounding Icklesham
David Staveley
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David is a computer programmer by profession and in his spare time is an archaeological geophysicist, whose main research interest is the study of Roman roads and roadside settlements in Sussex.
Surrey Archaeological Society
Roman Studies Group
About the Group
The Group was set up to provide a forum in which members interested in the Romano-British period can discuss and exchange views and to encourage research, fieldwork, and publication. It has become firmly established with over 100 members who enjoy a monthly online lecture programme throughout the winter months as well as full-day hybrid (face-to-face and online) seminars on topics of interest such as ‘Industry in Roman Britain’, ‘How Roman was Roman Britain?’, ‘Disposal of the Dead in Roman Southern Britain’, and now ‘Roman Roadside Settlements’, and workshops such as ‘Roman Glass’. A varied programme of visits to sites and museums throughout the South-East, and one overseas visit to German Trier has been arranged in the past.
Fieldwork Projects include excavations at Ashtead Roman Villa, Abinger Roman Villa, Flexford industrial and settlement site, Titsey Villa and mausoleum/temple, and cooperation with EEHAS in excavations at the township of Roman Ewell. A key aim is to keep projects properly matched to the available resources and designed to answer specific questions. The Group is working under a formal research agenda for the Roman period that feeds into the overall agenda for Surrey and ultimately the South-East.
Membership is open to all individual members of the Surrey Archaeological Society (subs: £30 per year). The annual subscription to the RSG for a year from 1 April is currently free.
NB SyAS members can also join the following Special Interest Groups:
Prehistoric Group
Medieval Studies Forum
Artefacts Research Groups
Surrey Industrial History Group
Surrey Local History
You can join SyAS at: https://www.surreyarchaeology.org.uk/content/membership/
Further information about the Roman Study Group can be obtained from the Secretary,
Nikki Cowlard at romanstudiesgroup@btinternet.com
