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Romano-British Wetland Reclamations at Longney, Gloucestershire, and Evidence for the Early Settlement of the Inner Severn Estuary

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 April 2011

J. R. L. Allen  and
M. G. Fulford
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Extract

By the end of the Roman period, and largely as the result of late Romano-British activity, somewhat over one-half of the tidal wetlands of the inner Severn Estuary between Gloucester and Awre had been embanked and drained. Little reclamation occurred during the medieval period, but early modern-modern times witnessed substantial further activity, leaving scant active salt marsh today. The Romano-British reclamations are recognized on the basis of archaeological evidence and, where direct evidence of settlement is lacking, by the degree to which the reclaimed areas are depressed below the level of the contemporary active marshes along the tidal river. Despite the similarity in the amount of available wetland on both banks, most of the Romano-British reclamations are to be found on the left bank of the Severn, and most of these carry a settlement directly on the alluvium. This distribution pattern points to significant differences in the organization and use of land between the two banks of the river and, when combined with other evidence, suggests that wetland reclamation on the left bank was mostly a feature of the development of large villa estates, with the alluvial settlements representing substantial, outlying farmsteads. Iron-making based on rich ores imported from the Forest of Dean occurred at all the wetland and near-wetland settlements on the two banks, and locally may have taken place on an industrial scale. At Awre on the right bank, however, an early iron-making tradition seems to have survived to a late Roman date.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Antiquaries Journal , Volume 70 , Issue 2 , September 1990 , pp. 288 - 326
Copyright
Copyright © The Society of Antiquaries of London 1990

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References

NOTES

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28 T h e major element composition of slags from the Severn wetlands was determined by X-ray fluorescence analysis, against international and internal standards, of representative washed and dried samples freed from contaminants. See for sources note 27.

29 See, for sources, note 27.

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34 See note 31.

35 D. A. and C. A. Browning, pers. comm. 1989.

36 Gloucester Rec. Off., Q/RI 92.

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39 See note 37.

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44 See note 42.

45 Department of the Environment, Register of Historic Buildings and Monuments, Elmore nos. 1/49,1/50.

46 Gloucester Rec. Off. GDR/T1/77.

47 See note 42.

48 Smith, op. cit. (note 31), 185.

49 Gloucestershire C. C. SMR 528 (Brit. NGR SO 763098).

50 See note 42.

51 Smith, op. cit. (note 31), 187; VCH, Gloucestershire, op. cit. (note 31) 205–15.

52 Ibid., 289–99.

53 Ibid., 155–69, 289–99.

54 Ibid., 205–15.

55 Gloucester Rec. Off. D 1388, Q/RI 104, Q/RI 169, GDR/T1/124.

56 See note 42.

57 VCH, Gloucestershire, op. cit. (note 31), 79–102.

58 Gloucester Rec. Off. D272/9/3, GDR/T1/192.

59 Smith, op. cit. (note 37), 204.

60 See note 42.

61 VCH, Gloucestershire, op. cit. (note 31), 79–102.

62 Gloucester Rec. Off., op. cit. (note 58).

63 See note 42.

64 See note 42.

65 Smith, op. cit. (note 37), 206; VCH, Gloucestershire, op. cit. (note 31), 79–102.

66 Gloucester Rec. Off. D272/9/3.

67 VCH, Gloucestershire, op. cit. (note 31), 79–102; Gloucester Rec. Off. GDR/T1/192.

68 Gloucester Rec. Off., op. cit. (note 66).

69 Ordnance Survey, Six-inch Sheets (first edition), Gloucestershire XXXII SW.

70 See note 42.

71 Allen, op. cit. (note 2)

72 Ibid.

73 Ibid.

74 Ibid.

75 See note 42.

76 Gloucester Rec. Off. D2998/1, D272/9/3, Q/RI7.

77 See note 42.

78 VCH, Gloucestershire, (note 31), 155–69.

79 Allen, op. cit. (note 2).

80 Gloucester Rec. Off. D2998/1.

81 Allen, op. cit. (note 2).

82 Gloucester Rec. Off., op. cit. (note 76).

83 See note 42.

84 Gloucester Rec. Off. D272/9/3, P30/SD2/2.

85 N. M. Herbert, pers. comm. 1990.

86 Substantial erosion has occurred at a number of times since the early medieval period along the south side of the Awre peninsula. See Finberg, H. P. R., The Gloucestershire Landscape, (London, 1975), 16Google Scholar; N. M. Herbert, pers. comm. 1990.

87 Gloucester Rec. Off. P30/SD2/2; Ordnance Survey, Six-inch Sheet (first edition), Gloucestershire XL SW; N. M. Herbert, pers. comm. 1990.

88 See note 42.

89 See note 86.

90 Allen, and Fulford, , op. cit. (1987) (note 25).Google Scholar

91 Webster, op. cit. (note 21).

92 Young, op. cit. (note 22).

93 Allen, and Fulford, , op. cit. (1987) (note 25), 256. 94 Allen and Fulford, op. cit. (note 1).Google Scholar

95 Allen and Rae, op. cit. (note 12); Allen, op. cit. (note 13).

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98 Heyworth and Kidson, op. cit. (note 12), fig. 5.

99 See note 96.

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103 Finberg, op. cit. (note 86), comments on a law suit in 1234 between Awre, where there was erosion, and Slimbridge, at which deposition was rapidly taking place.

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105 Allen, and Fulford, , op. cit. (1987) (note 25).Google Scholar

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112 F. Roe, pers. comm. 1990.