Romano-British Woburn

13 Bedford Street May 2012

The Bedfordshire Historic Environment Record [HER] contains information on the county’s historic buildings and landscapes and summaries of each entry can now be found online as part of the Heritage Gateway website. Two Roman roads have been tentatively identified in the parish, both from the same area. One is an agger [HER 5168], a minor road which is identified by having a ditch running along each side and the road itself curving up slightly toward the middle, allowing for rain run-off. The agger is near Pinfold Pond. Just south of nearby Job’s Farm another possible Roman road has been identified [HER 5167].

Roman occupation has been discovered at 13 Bedford Street [HER 18268]. This seems to have been a Roman settlement directly beneath the modern town and which was in existence by the 1st century AD and lasted into the 3rd century. There is evidence of pottery production in the 1st and 2nd centuries in the shape of fragments of kiln and large quantities of pottery. An oyster shell and animal remains have also been found as well as a small quantity of native Iron Age pottery dating from the 1st centuries BC and AD.

Two lead spindle whorls were found at Birchmoor [HER 11981]. With them was a possible military bronze fitting of Roman date.