Site Code.

ALFOLDEAN11 Site identification Alfoldean Roman Station, Slinfold and address County, district West Sussex and / or borough O.S. grid ref. River Terrace / Weald Clay Geology. Project number. SNUFFLER1105 Fieldwork type. Geophysics Site type. Date of fieldwork. November 2011 Sponsor/client. Horsham District Archaeology Group Project manager. David Staveley Project supervisor. Period summary Project summary. A magnetometer survey on the Roman station at Alfoldean (100 word max) Roman

A Geophysical Survey at Alfoldean Roman Station

by David Staveley
Introduction The Roman station at Alfoldean sits where Stane Street crosses the River Arun. It is fairly well understood, having been excavated by Winbolt (1923) and Time Team (2004). The monument is scheduled as monument WS222, and this report is assigned as a response to Section 42 license SL00013446. The Horsham District Archaeology Group are in the process of re-examining Alfoldean Roman station, and requested a magnetometer survey covering part of the western field in which the monument sits. The Time Team geophysics covered a thin strip along the hedge line adjacent to the road, and did not find a large amount of settlement, apart from within the main enclosure itself. It was felt however, that there could be archaeology further into the field, especially on the western side, where a tile scatter of the sort that could be associated with a bath house was noted. Acknowledgements The author would like to thank the landowner for giving permission for the survey and the members of the Horsham District Archaeology Group for help with the survey itself. Methodology The magnetometer survey was undertaken by Horsham District Archaeology Group using a GRAD601-2 using 40x40m grids, with lines spaced 1 metre apart and 4 readings per metre along the line, walking north-south. The data was processed using Snuffler with despike, destripe (per sensor/direction) and interpolation (X only) filters applied. The resulting image was further filtered using a Fourier transform filter to remove plough lines. Positioning The grids were set out and recorded using a total station and an arbitrary grid. Two resection points and the survey area are described in the table below. The location of these points are also shown on the interpretation image. Description RS1 : S edge of post, 12m W of gate, SE corner of field, and next to N edge of road RS2 : S edge of fencepost, SE of large oak tree N edge of field G1 G2 G3 Grid North 167.41 500.84 500 300 300 Grid East 493.27 354.26 500 500 300

Results

This image is the original results before the Fourier transform filter was applied. Note the plough lines heading ENE-WSW.

This image is the results after the Fourier transform filter was applied. Most of the plough lines are now gone. The process of removing the plough lines may create artefacts in the resulting image, hence both images are given for comparison.

Interpretation

Within the survey area, modern features are marked in red, possible archaeology in green and geological changes in light blue. The geological change shown in light blue may represent the boundary between the river terrace gravels and the Weald clay below, or it may be the original edge of the floodplain, now filled with soil moved by the plough.

A) The double ditch of the enclosure is visible on the results as a dark band between 8 and 10
metres wide, and on the ground as a wide depression, still clear despite the ploughing. The northern end widens out, but there is at least an indication that the ditches are turning to the east, as if to complete the enclosure. It is debatable whether or not there is enough space to do so, as the river is so close, and has not apparently changed its course since Roman times, as wooden bridge piles were found in the river. At the point marked A on the map, there is a raised area in the depression of the ditches, and coupled with possible road ditches to the east and west, may be a western exit from the enclosure.

B) This curving trackway is visible in two sections, due to the middle part of its length now being
obscured. The northern section, between features D and I may represent the start of the track, having exited the enclosure at point A. It is around 6 metres wide between ditches. The southern section curves back towards the road and contains the slightest hint of inner ditches or post holes, marked as dotted lines on the map. This section is 7-10 metres wide between ditches, seeming to expand as it heads further south. It doesn't seem very Roman in its design, and if built during the Roman period, may be the work of locals rather than Roman engineers. It may date earlier, to the Iron Age, evidence of which has been found on site.

C) This set of features look striking on the results, but are not particularly strong at around 5nT.
There is a large amount of what looks to be ash on the surface in this area, so these might be the sites of relatively modern bonfires.

D) West of road B and south of the features at C is a small enclosure, marked at least on its
southern and western edges by a ditch. A possible eastern ditch is also present, but this may in fact be associated with road B.

E) This trackway heads from the enclosure exit at A to the enclosure at H. It is straight, and
consistently 7 metres in width. It looks much more Roman in design than track B.

F) There are two small enclosures here almost looking like two pairs of parentheses, like so: ( ) ( ).
The magnetic response in the ditches is fairly strong here, reaching 20nT at one point. The area around these features is quite messy magnetically, suggesting that this is an area of occupation.

G) There are a number of ditches at this point, but with two of them merging, and one fading out,
only one of them stretches as far north as the track at E. It seems to cross this and head up to the features at F. At the southern end, there is the suggestion, for a short time at least, that this is a track, roughly 5 metres in width.

H) This area is the location of the tile scatter suggestive of a bath house. Trackway E heads towards
what appears to be an enclosure here, stopping just short of its north-eastern ditch. A south-eastern ditch is visible, and possibly a short section of ditch to the south-west. The largest feature is quite magnetically strong, reaching 30nT. There are further features to the south-east of this, but no definite structure can be made out. If this is a bath house, as the tile scatter suggests, then the strong feature could be the stoke hole, with the bulk of the building having a flint foundation, and invisible to the magnetometer. Nevertheless, a wider set of features were expected here, so the results are inconclusive.

I) Just outside of the main enclosure is what looks to be a small building, roughly 13m long and 5m
wide. The features shown are assumed to be the foundation ditches.

J) This linear ditch feature may relate to the field boundary shown on the tithe map between the
fields marked 1062 and 1065. The alignment is the same, but it is slightly to the west on the map, though that of course cannot be relied upon for exact measurements. The map shows the field boundary heading all the way north to the edge of the field, which it doesn't on the geophysics results, but on an aerial photograph, it does continue all the way to the south. If this feature does correspond with the map, it may be a modern field boundary which has a Roman origin.

K) On aerial photographs, there is a wide dark feature at this point, seemingly attached to the
enclosure ditches. Its western extent is marked by a line of pits on the geophysics and in a similar manner by a linear feature to the south. Its amorphous shape suggests some sort of quarry.