Monument record MDO365 - Roman Buildings, Yeovil Golf Club, Bradford Abbas

In 1958 ploughing on a hill near the golf course exposed Roman building foundations and in places the remains of standing walls. Evidence of burning was found on the face of one wall. Investigation and trial trenches estimated that the building would be approximately 21m long and 7m wide. Large amounts of Romano-British pottery was also found on the site. Near the golf course.

Roman Pottery: looks like a hut site. <1>

The fields overlooking Yeovil have yielded a considerable amount of RB pottery, 2nd century Samian. This is probably a similar site of other hilltop settlements. <2>

(ST 57721534). Ploughing adjacent to the Yeovil Golf Club Ground in 1958 uncovered quantities of stone. Diagonally laid wall foundations running north to south were uncovered just below the surface. Trial trenches at the end of apparent foundations gave a building some 70ft in length. Cross trenching revealed a rough stone floor ending about 21 ft eastwards which would give an overall width of about 23 ft. No pottery or habitation dirt was found inside the north end of the building, but this existed all round and probing gave the impression of an occupation area some 200 ft square. Probing suggests another possible building 65 ft by 28 ft parallel to the first and some 108 ft west. The only coins found were on the surface, Lucilla circa 164 and Gratian 367-383. <3>

DO 3 Listed as the possible site of a Roman villa. <5>

<1> Bean, C E, Annotated record map Corr 6", 7.7.50 (Map). SDO16337.

<2> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1951, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1950, 77 (Serial). SDO50.

‘(b) ST(31)/57851535; 1974/4137-8. The fields overlooking Yeovil, now in part used by the Yeovil Golf Club, have yielded a considerable amount of Romano-British pottery, Samian forms 38 (2nd cent.), 31 and 33. This is probably a similar site to other hilltop settlements around Sherborne and Yeovil, near land suitable for crop growing.’

<3> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1959, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1958, 99 (Serial). SDO58.

<4> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1962 (Map). SWX1540.

Roman Building (R) (site of) (Subsequent publication)

<5> Scott, E, 1993, A Gazetteer of Roman villas in Britain, 50-1 (Bibliographic reference). SWX1795.

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 196040 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Sep 20 2022 10:52AM