Find Spot record MDO44285 - Roman coins found in Humby's Stock Coppice, Sixpenny Handley

In 1951 workmen digging in Humby's Stock Coppice found eleven Roman coins ranging in date from the mid-2nd to the late 4th century AD. The coins were in a dark earth with sherds of Romano-British pottery and a small bronze bracelet.

ST 98311708. Roman coins were found in March 1951 by three labourers digging inside the edge of Humby's Stock Coppice, about 50 yards south of the north-west corner. In all, eleven coins ranging in date from mid-2nd century to late 4th century were found, including some discovered earlier at the same spot. All were within an area of about a yard, in dark occupation earth with Romano-British coarse sherds and a small bronze bracelet. Immediately to the north of the site was a round barrow, with another to the east of it. Some copper slag had been unearthed by rabbits on the north-west edge of the copse. The coins were retained by the finders. <1>

No finds were made here, and there were no definite indications of an occupation site. No barrows were found in the northern part of the copse, which is considerably overgrown. <2>

Romano-British occupation site in the west side of Humby's Stock Coppice (details as Authy 1). <3>

A rapid examination of air photography suggests the presence of a rectangular enclosure just to the east of Humby's Stock Coppice. Linear features associated with the enclosure may connect it to the field system ST 91 NE 19. Also visible was a pit-like feature (c.10m north of the northwest corner of the coppice) c.3m in diameter. The features, of Prehistoric or Roman date are visible as cropmarks. <5>

Roman coins were reportedly found in March 1951 by three labourers digging inside the edge of Humby's Stock Coppice, circa 50 yards south of the northwest corner. 11 coins ranging from the mid 2nd century to the late 4th century were found (though some of these had apparently been found at the same spot on a previous occasion). All were apparently found in "dark occupation earth" which also contained Romano-British pottery and a small bronze bracelet. However, there are problems with the locational information. The original account referred to a round barrow being located immediately to the north of the site, with another to the east of it. In 1954, an Ordnance Survey field investigator stated that "No barrows were found in the northern part of the copse, which is considerably overgrown". The nearest barrows (ST 91 NE 20 and 104) are actually located circa 100 metres south of the alleged findspot. Air photography suggests the presence of features of possible Roman date in the general vicinity, probably associated with field system ST 91 NE 19. <6>

<1> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1952, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1951, 104-105 (Serial). SDO51.

<1.1> Wilson, M, Oral information, correspondence (not archived) or staff comments: Miss M Wilson (Verbal communication). SDO18467.

<2> Wrathall, Reginald, Field investigator's comments RW, F1 RW 05-APR-54 (Unpublished document). SDO18449.

<3> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1975, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume V (East), 69 (Monograph). SDO129.

‘(20) ROMANO-BRITISH OCCUPATION SITE (98311708), noted in 1951 in the W. side of Humby’s Stock Coppice, was indicated by coarse pottery, a bronze bracelet, and 11 coins ranging from Antoninus Pius to the late 4th century; copper slag was also found (Dorset Procs., 73 (1951), 104-5). An Enclosure (982168) linked with boundary ditches and a track is revealed by air photograph (C.U.A.P., BCV 86) in the arable immediately W. and S. of the coppice (Plate 62). It is sub-rectangular, about 280 ft. by 240 ft., and it has an entrance on the S.E. Numerous storage pits, nearly all inside the enclosure except for a few on the W., suggest an Iron-Age origin. From the entrance a narrow passage flanked by side-ditches extends S.E. for about 120 ft. The ditches then curve away, one to S. and S.E., the other to N.E. and then N.W. The second ditch follows a sinuous course and at 98311686 curves to accommodate a small, roughly circular enclosure about 100 ft. across, possibly with storage-pits inside it. Beyond this the ditch forms one side of a track which leads N.W. This ditch appears to have replaced earlier alignments just outside the entrance passage.’

<4> Bowen, H C, 1991, The Archaeology of Bokerley Dyke: Inventory, 29 (Monograph). SDO14864.

<5> Miller, Andrew, 1993, RCHME: AP Primary Recording Project, 05-FEB-1993 (Unpublished document). SWX1708.

<5.1> National Monuments Record, NMR 4349: 19-20 (Aerial Photograph). SDO18468.

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 209765 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Sep 6 2022 4:02PM