Banwell 14 August 2018
Team: Vince, Roy Rice, Bev, Martyn
We first went to the location of Roman Road HER report along Colling Lane, traversing from Wolvershill Road to Riverside Road. (ST 39661 59403, “large late ditch overlying a Romano-British Road underlying late fourth century or early fifth century inundation.”) The Lane showed no evidence I can remember of a Roman road, nor did the HER report give indications of direction. But according to Roy and Vince, considerable Roman material had been found in various fields we passed, sufficient to hypothesise a settlement; was this connected to or part of the small town south of the hill at Winthill? One definite item is a villa next to the river Banwell (see map and photo below).
Writing, I fear, at some distance of time from the walk, I do not remember any more now whether Roy had anything relevant to say about our quest for local Roman roads. This proliferation of Roman activity in the environs of Banwell cannot have been without Roman roads. One is the Charterhouse to uphill road, which we are investigating. Another could be the Iwood Road; this might form a connection with Gatcombe (now looking more like a small town from Bob Smisson’s report in Britannia), or there might be a more direct connection.
A third road might be along the fairly straight line of Woolvershill Road, which would connect Roman Banwell to Roman Saint Georges (on the outskirts of Weston super Mare) and may pass by Locking Villa. At Saint Georges was ‘Settlement a short distance west of junction of M5 and A370 (ST 3706 6332) according to N Somerset HER. Also, a site of major salt production.
The following quotes come from “First Century A.D. salt making at St George’s, Cox and Holbrook 2009”:
‘The evidence presented by the larger pedestals and structural fragments is extremely important not only for understanding the salt production industry in Somerset but also for Britain. Production of salt at St George’s was undoubtedly industrial in scale. The assemblage of salt production debris at St George’s is of great interest as it is the largest quantity of salt production debris of any date from Somerset and is in very good condition. Most importantly it testifies to an intensive first century A.D. industry in North Somerset affording a major quantity of quality sea salt. The quantity of salt produced at these sites would have been far beyond that needed by local people for their daily requirements and some must have been designated for export. There is no doubt that the features recorded and material recovered during these investigations represent evidence of what was, in the first century A.D., a significant salt production industry which spanned many generations. The evidence from St George’s indicates an intensification of salt production in the first century A.D., which utilised new technology characterised by large pedestal supports which is quite distinct from the earlier material and is suggestive of production on a scale commensurate with export rather than satisfying the needs of local communities. The lack of imported pottery found on site, for example Samian ware, suggests that this industry was under local control and not run by the military.’
The report writers tentatively suggest salt was transported away from the site by ‘pack animal or boat’; why not by road on wagons as pottery loads were transported over 60 km in southern France? So Woolvershill Road fits exactly the aim of the North Somerset Roman road project: to find sub strategic roads that connected centres of industry and population. But is it demonstrably of the Roman period? Unfortunately, the modern road fits neatly on top of the supposed Roman road. So how to validate? Driving along it might give a feel of its characteristics. But even if, for example, we found evidence of a slight agger, can an embanked road across low-lying land be unsurprising?
One possibility of geophysics/excavation is where the road has been diverted from its original course to cross the M5 by means of a bridge; on either side of the motorway there are short lengths of the original course of the road which could be open to investigation. Also, are there any Roman finds along its route? North of the M5 it may partly follow Summer Lane, then a line of hedgerow along the Blind Yeo river, then across Woolvershill Road, on to a straight, unnamed track or road (which might be worth a closer look) between Thompson Way and the playground, thus ending in St Georges.
Footnote: When in London recently I came across, right next to a surviving section of the Londinium Roman wall, the modern building of the Salters’ Livery Company or Guild now engaged in charitable and scientific work. In mediaeval times it was the ninth most important Guild of the 12 Trade Guilds of London. Outside was this magnificent iron gate on which you can see the legend sal sapit omnia the meaning of which is not immediately clear: sal means salt, sapio (whence sapit) means to have flavour (and also mentally to discern), omnia means everything. It might mean ‘salt savours all’. Or sapit could mean ‘gives piquancy’ and so, gives value. On the Internet you will find the usual translation is “salt seasons everything”.
We first went to the location of Roman Road HER report along Colling Lane, traversing from Wolvershill Road to Riverside Road. (ST 39661 59403, “large late ditch overlying a Romano-British Road underlying late fourth century or early fifth century inundation.”) The Lane showed no evidence I can remember of a Roman road, nor did the HER report give indications of direction. But according to Roy and Vince, considerable Roman material had been found in various fields we passed, sufficient to hypothesise a settlement; was this connected to or part of the small town south of the hill at Winthill? One definite item is a villa next to the river Banwell (see map and photo below).
Writing, I fear, at some distance of time from the walk, I do not remember any more now whether Roy had anything relevant to say about our quest for local Roman roads. This proliferation of Roman activity in the environs of Banwell cannot have been without Roman roads. One is the Charterhouse to uphill road, which we are investigating. Another could be the Iwood Road; this might form a connection with Gatcombe (now looking more like a small town from Bob Smisson’s report in Britannia), or there might be a more direct connection.
A third road might be along the fairly straight line of Woolvershill Road, which would connect Roman Banwell to Roman Saint Georges (on the outskirts of Weston super Mare) and may pass by Locking Villa. At Saint Georges was ‘Settlement a short distance west of junction of M5 and A370 (ST 3706 6332) according to N Somerset HER. Also, a site of major salt production.
The following quotes come from “First Century A.D. salt making at St George’s, Cox and Holbrook 2009”:
‘The evidence presented by the larger pedestals and structural fragments is extremely important not only for understanding the salt production industry in Somerset but also for Britain. Production of salt at St George’s was undoubtedly industrial in scale. The assemblage of salt production debris at St George’s is of great interest as it is the largest quantity of salt production debris of any date from Somerset and is in very good condition. Most importantly it testifies to an intensive first century A.D. industry in North Somerset affording a major quantity of quality sea salt. The quantity of salt produced at these sites would have been far beyond that needed by local people for their daily requirements and some must have been designated for export. There is no doubt that the features recorded and material recovered during these investigations represent evidence of what was, in the first century A.D., a significant salt production industry which spanned many generations. The evidence from St George’s indicates an intensification of salt production in the first century A.D., which utilised new technology characterised by large pedestal supports which is quite distinct from the earlier material and is suggestive of production on a scale commensurate with export rather than satisfying the needs of local communities. The lack of imported pottery found on site, for example Samian ware, suggests that this industry was under local control and not run by the military.’
The report writers tentatively suggest salt was transported away from the site by ‘pack animal or boat’; why not by road on wagons as pottery loads were transported over 60 km in southern France? So Woolvershill Road fits exactly the aim of the North Somerset Roman road project: to find sub strategic roads that connected centres of industry and population. But is it demonstrably of the Roman period? Unfortunately, the modern road fits neatly on top of the supposed Roman road. So how to validate? Driving along it might give a feel of its characteristics. But even if, for example, we found evidence of a slight agger, can an embanked road across low-lying land be unsurprising?
One possibility of geophysics/excavation is where the road has been diverted from its original course to cross the M5 by means of a bridge; on either side of the motorway there are short lengths of the original course of the road which could be open to investigation. Also, are there any Roman finds along its route? North of the M5 it may partly follow Summer Lane, then a line of hedgerow along the Blind Yeo river, then across Woolvershill Road, on to a straight, unnamed track or road (which might be worth a closer look) between Thompson Way and the playground, thus ending in St Georges.
Footnote: When in London recently I came across, right next to a surviving section of the Londinium Roman wall, the modern building of the Salters’ Livery Company or Guild now engaged in charitable and scientific work. In mediaeval times it was the ninth most important Guild of the 12 Trade Guilds of London. Outside was this magnificent iron gate on which you can see the legend sal sapit omnia the meaning of which is not immediately clear: sal means salt, sapio (whence sapit) means to have flavour (and also mentally to discern), omnia means everything. It might mean ‘salt savours all’. Or sapit could mean ‘gives piquancy’ and so, gives value. On the Internet you will find the usual translation is “salt seasons everything”.
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