Crickhowell Road - Page 1

EXCAVATIONS ON LAND BETWEEN CRICKHOWELL ROAD AND WILLOWBROOK DRIVE, TROWBRIDGE, CARDIFF

Progress Report

Between April and May 2006 Cotswold Archaeology (CA) undertook the excavation of an area of approximately 0.4ha of land situated between Crickhowell Road and Willowbrook Gardens, Trowbridge, Cardiff in advance of residential development. The site is located on Glacial Till at the very edge of the interface with the lower-lying alluvium associated with the Wentloog Level on the edge of the Bristol Channel. Excavations targeted a small Roman enclosure identified by archaeological evaluation of a wider area measuring 5.5ha, also carried out by CA, in 2005.

Early Bronze Age

Early Bronze Age activity was represented by a single unexceptional pit from which a considerable quantity of sherds from a single Beaker vessel were recovered, as well as a broken flint scraper.

Roman

The earliest Roman activity comprised a number of ditches concerned primarily with drainage of the site. These included a large ditch along the south-western part of the site which, as well as facilitating drainage, also appears to represent the first phase of enclosure of the site. No other contemporary features were found associated with this ditch, but finds including pottery, animal bone and ceramic building material suggest occupation dating to the 2nd to 3rd centuries AD nearby.

A large enclosure ditch situated inside its earlier counterpart and extending around the north-western side of the site was constructed within the second phase of Roman activity. This had an entrance along its north-western side and the relatively sterile nature of its fills indicates that it gradually silted up before being re-established by re-cutting. The paucity of finds associated with this phase suggests a probable change of land use at this time.

Utilising the line of the enclosure ditch, a small sub-enclosure measuring approximately 65m x 25m was created in the south-western corner of the enclosure and subsequently activity on the site intensified.

Within the sub-enclosure a cluster of features containing concentrations of metalworking slag and hammerscale, indicative of small-scale smithing was identified. A curved gully to the south-east of this group of features appears to represent some form of screen for the metalworking activities. The gully contained a quantity of coal representing fuel from the smithing processes.

A sub-rectangular metalled surface measuring approximately 10m x 6m was identified to the north-west of the smithing area. A lack of evidence for any surrounding structure suggests that this represents an external working surface. Artefactual material recovered from the surface, included glass, ceramic building material, coal and a considerable quantity of pottery dated specifically to the late 3rd to 4th centuries AD.

Adjacent to the metalled surface was an area containing a second small curved gully and a cluster of pits and postholes, indicative of a structure (or structures). A single vessel dated to the 3rd to 4th centuries AD was found in the gully and the two halves of a broken quernstone were found as in-situ packing within a large posthole.

The nature of the fills of the sub-enclosure ditch reflect the intensification of activity on the site during this phase. Typically, they contained a much higher level of cultural material than the earlier features, including charcoal, plant remains, animal bone, slag, coal and pottery. Much of this material is well preserved due to being waterlogged. A concentration of animal bone, including examples which displayed evidence of butchery and exposure to fire was identified close to the north-western corner of the sub-enclosure. This material may suggest a use for the nearby structure(s). A notable find from the latest re-cut ditch was a copper alloy enamelled umbonate disc brooch dated to the 2nd century AD.

The final phase of Roman activity comprised the construction of a ditch aligned for the most part with the ditch forming the north-eastern side of the sub-enclosure. Upcast from this activity sealed the aforementioned ditch.