The Roman buildings at Whitebeech, Chiddingfold (SU 9785 3610; Scheduled Monument no SU 135) were discovered in 1883 during ploughing and was subsequently excavated, but the results were not finally published until 1984 (Cooper et al 1984). The report, including a plan of the buildings, while of a good standard for the period, fails to note phasing, stratigraphy or even to give the exact location of the buildings within the field.

A  Magnetometry survey of the surrounds of the villa and associated test-pitting in the winter of 2009-10 informed excavation strategy in the 2010 season.
Excavation included the successful identification of the site of work by Charles Darwin in 1877.

1:  Magnetometry Project around Cock’s Farm Roman villa, Abinger 2008-10

On 8 July the Roman Studies Group paid a visit to the Farnham Pottery in Wrecclesham, kindly arranged by David Graham. The main aim was for members of the Group to gain a better understanding of the practical business of making pottery with specific reference to techniques in use in the Roman period. We were hosted by the West Street Potters in what proved to be a very enjoyable and informative afternoon.

The Ewell Hinterland Project was set up by Surrey Archaeological Society in conjunction with Epsom and Ewell History and Archaeology Society to examine and investigate the archaeological evidence for Iron Age and Romano-British sites around Ewell, a known Romano-British settlement.  Over the last two years members have participated in a number of field walking days to ascertain evidence for past occupation.  It was decided to include in the project all fields that became

On a beautiful day in May, some seventeen members of the Roman Studies Group, including appendages, visited the Roman Villa at Chedworth, near Cirencester close to the Fosse Way. Our guide, Dr Richard Reece, known for the way in which he has established a new approach to the study of Roman coinage, a past member of Time Team and author of many works on Roman subjects, kicked off by posing the question “what is a Roman villa?”

As part of the five year plan to reappraise the work carried out on the Ashtead Roman Villa site, we have recently undertaken a project to maximise the information we can obtain from the artefacts using digital photography. All artefacts have a story to tell and it is important to extract as much information as we can from our photographic images.

Equipment

The fourth main season of excavation on Ashtead Common was undertaken by the Society’s Roman Studies Group between 26 August and 14 September. The weather was very kind and a larger digging team could be accommodated than previously because work took place in well-separated areas (numbers are restricted by nature conservation requirements). As a result, it was possible to achieve all the objectives for the year and indeed exceed them.

The following is the text of an article which was published in the Proceedings of the Hampshire Field Club, by whose kind permission it is published here. It outlines the search for a road by our member David Weston and subsequent excavations under our auspices led by David Calow.