Romans in Poulton?

Until recently the evidence for Roman occupation in the Fylde was very limited. The nearest known Roman sites were at Kirkham and Ribchester. There were a number of isolated finds of Roman coins, and coin hoards found at Rossall, Fleetwood and Hackensall Hall, Knott End. However, there was very little material evidence of actual occupation in the Fylde which led to the assumption that it was inhospitable and largely uninhabited in the Iron Age and Roman periods. However, this idea was challenged in 2008 when United Utilities began excavating pastureland on Garstang Road East at Poulton-le-Fylde to lay a new sewerage pipeline. What they found were the remains of a previously unknown Romano-British settlement, including two roundhouses, one of which was subsequently excavated by Oxford Archaeology North.
The settlement site was located on a small but prominent hillock, quite close to what is now the Main Dyke (shown on old maps as ‘Skippon Flu’). The settlement was surrounded by V-shaped enclosure ditches containing burnt bone and pottery. There were a number of tree boles on the site, suggesting the clearance of woodland, and several pits which were probably used for storage. There was also evidence of a trackway running westwards possibly providing a link to a wider road.
A Romano-British Roundhouse in Poulton

The larger of the two roundhouses was fully excavated and was found to be 10 metres in diameter. It comprised two concentric circular gullies, the outer one (known as a drip gully) provided drainage, whilst the inner gully (the post gully) was part of the structure which would have contained timber posts and a low wall, probably of wattle and daub. There was a central posthole packed with stones which was probably used in the construction of the roof of the roundhouse. There was a large internal storage pit in the northern (i.e. the coolest) part of the structure.
Roundhouses typically have one entrance, but this one had two on an east/west axis, probably to maximise heat and light from the sun. Postholes at each entrance suggested internal screening as weather protection.
Finds from the site included 171 pottery shards, including Roman black burnished ware and mortaria. These provided the initial dating evidence which, along with radiocarbon dating, suggest that the roundhouse was occupied from the late second to mid third century AD. Remains of cereals and pieces of a quern stone suggest the cultivation and processing of oats, emmer and spelt wheat. Bone fragments were found indicating that animals were kept, but the poor preservation of the bone prevented further identification.

There are still many unanswered questions about the Poulton site, however, some preliminary conclusions can be drawn. Roundhouses are most closely linked with the Iron Age, but this traditional style of building continued well into the Roman period, as on this site. Its topography, on high well-drained ground made it suitable for settlement, and its location (close to a possible Roman road and to the river) would facilitate communications. The main activity on the site was agriculture, including cereal production and probably animal husbandry. Whilst the lifestyle of the inhabitants may have changed little from their Iron Age forebears, the influence of the Roman occupation can be seen in the presence of black burnished ware and mortaria. The pottery may also suggest that the inhabitants were living above subsistence level and had a surplus to trade for goods they did not make themselves. The excavated site was quite limited (less than 0.5 hectares) and it is possible the settlement extended much further.
The discovery of the roundhouse at Poulton provides the first material evidence for rural occupation in the Fylde in the Romano-British period and is therefore of regional as well as local importance. It challenges previously held assumptions that this was an inhospitable and largely empty marsh, and opens up new possibilities and lines of enquiry.

To see what a Romano-British settlement might look like visit: – www.butserancientfarm.co.uk
Article by Lynda Wright
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Further archaeological excavations on land adjacent to the roundhouse site were undertaken in 2018 by Wardell Armstrong prior to the development of a large housing estate. These excavations revealed archaeological features and structures dated to the 3rd century AD which indicated small scale industrial activity. There was evidence of iron smelting including a significant amount of tap slag and smelting waste.
This is one of the first sites in Lancashire with evidence of iron working outside a military context in the Roman period, making it a site of regional significance and adding to our understanding of settlement, industrial activity and land use in Roman Lancashire. (Wardell Armstrong Post-excavation Report January 2021)
Historical Background
Britain in the Roman period was a tribal society, and the main tribe in the north was the Brigantes, described by the Roman historian Tacitus as the most populous in the country. The Brigantes are now thought to be not a single tribe but a loose confederation which included the Setantii, who were possibly located in the northwest.
The nearest known site to Poulton was a Roman fortlet at Dowbridge, Kirkham about 15 miles away. It is thought that this fortlet was abandoned by around 160AD. A Roman fort at Ribchester, however, continued to be occupied throughout the Roman period, probably in a policing and administrative role. Its Roman name, Bremetennacum Veteranorum, suggests that the area was used for the settlement of discharged soldiers.
There is also a local tradition that a Roman road led from the fortlet at Kirkham through the Fylde to ‘Portus Setantiorum’ (the port or harbour of the Setantii), a place mentioned by Ptolemy in his ‘Geography’. Several locations have been claimed for this lost site, including in the waters of the Wyre Estuary off Fleetwood. However, David Shotter, in his book ‘Romans and Britons in Northwest England’ expresses the opinion that the Setantii may have lived in southern Cumbria and Portus Setantiorum may be near the southern end of Lake Windermere. No evidence of a Roman Road has been found in modern times and the location of Portus Setantiorum is still a matter of debate.
Further reading
Edwards, B.J.N. (2000) The Romans at Ribchester, Centre for North West Regional Studies, Lancaster
Graystone, P. (1996) Walking Roman Roads in the Fylde and Ribble Valley, Centre for North West Regional Studies, University of Lancaster
Margary I.D., (1957) Roman Roads in Britain Volume 2, Phoenix House Ltd, London
Shotter, D. (1973), Romans in Lancashire, Dalesman Books, Clapham
Shotter, D. (2004), Romans and Britons in North West England, Centre for North West Regional Studies, University of Lancaster