Page:VCH Staffordshire 1.djvu/233

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ROMANO-BRITISH STAFFORDSHIRE mounted by a tumulus in which a few Celtic remains have been found [Pitt, Hist. Staffs, i, 260; Stebbing Shaw, Hist. Staffs, i, 31; Wright, Celt. Rom. Sax. 124; Horsley, Brit. Rom. 420 ; MS. Min. Soc. Antiq. i, 203 ; Arch, v, 1 13 ; Plot, Hist. Staffs. 401]. STRETTON (near Burton-on-Trent). In the ' Monks' Bridge,' which crosses the river here, certain remains of wooden piles have been found, which, it has been suggested, formed part of a Roman bridge carrying the Rycknield Street across the River Dove [Trans. Burton-on-Trent Nat. Hist, and Arch. Soc. iv, 32 ; cf. Burton-on-Trent]. TATENHILL. An old road way, a field or two from the east end of the church, is said to be of Roman construction. An ornament, probably a fibula , was found in 1819 near the road [N. Staff's. Field Club, xxxvii, 153; MS. Min. Antiq. Soc. xxxiv, 188]. In the hamlet of Callingwood, about a mile west of the Rycknield Street, on the border of Needwood Forest, were found in 1793 upwards of thirty gold coins in very good preservation ; of Augustus (B.C. 29- A.D. 14), Nero (A.D. 54-68), Galba (A.D. 68-69), Vespasian (A.D. 70-79), Domitian (A.D. 81-96) [Stebbing Shaw, Hist. Staff's, i, 18, 35 ; Pitt, Hist. Staffs, i, 8 ; Gent. Mag. (1796), 983 ; Reliq. ii, 209]. TEDDESLEY HAY. In Teddesley Park is a small square entrenchment, and in the fosse a short sword or dagger of iron, considered Roman, was found in 1780 [Stebbing Shaw, Hist. Staffs. ii, 2]. TETTENHALL. In the hamlet of Wrottesley are the remains of foundations. Dr. Plot, about 1686, stated that he was able to trace the lines of streets, &c. The circuit of the whole was said to be between three and four miles, lying partly in Staffordshire, partly in Shropshire. The foun- dations have unfortunately been dug up and used for various purposes. Squared stones, metal clamps or hinges, and a bronze dagger have been found at different times. There is, however, no evidence as to the date of these remains, which may have been later than the Roman period. Near the place is the ' Low Hill ' field, where many human bones have been discovered [Plot, Nat. Hist. Staffs. 394 ; Stebbing Shaw, Hist. Staffs, ii, 194 ; Cox, Mag. Brit, v, 47, 48]. UPPER ARELEY. A square entrenchment surrounded with double, and on one side treble, ditches is in Areley Wood. Remains indicative of a Roman settlement are said to have existed at Hawkback. Roman coins have been found in the vicinity, some said to be gold, one of Tiberius (A.D. 14-37) [P' tt > Hist. Staffs, i, 202; Camden, Brit. (ed. Gough), ii, 381 ; Stebbing Shaw, Hist. Staffs, ii, 253]. This parish, originally in Staffordshire, is now included in Worcester- shire. UPPER STONNAL. On a hill in this parish a camp exists which Plot thought Roman. Spear-heads and other implements have been dug up on the site, but whether they were of Roman date is uncertain [Plot, Nat. Hist. Staffs. 396]. Coins are also said to have been found in the neigh- bourhood [Willmore, Hist. Wahall, 25]. UPPER TEAM. In 1728 two urns of unglazed red clay, holding about six quarts apiece were found in a garden. They were in an inverted position, and under one of them were several frag- ments of human bones, skulls, &c. [Stebbing Shaw, Hist. Staffs, i, 35]. UTTOXETER. Romano-British pottery and bronze articles have been found here. In 1872 two pieces of pottery were found on LJttoxeter Heath, near the Ash bourne Road. An entrenchment on the south of the town is quadrangular in form and of a fairly large size ; the north side is perfect, in a field known as the ' Sandfort ' field. The west and south sides are also dis- cernible. Pottery has been found on the site, and an amphora near it. In Bradley Street numerous fragments of pottery were found, also a large quantity of grey clay, and one piece of unfinished ware, which led to the conjecture that the articles may have been manufactured on the spot. There were found also a bronze buckle, part of a brass fibula enamelled in red, a white hard metal button or ornament, a bronze disc, a piece of lead with a circular edge, the handle of a bronze key, a quern, boars' tusks, pieces of iron, a coin, and fragments of pottery scattered for 70 yds. round. Only one piece of Samian ware was discovered. In all parts of the town potsherds and small coins have been found [Redfern, Hist. Uttoxeter, 50-1]. At Stramshall in this parish a field was opened in five different places, and fragments of pottery were discovered at each place, but no Samian ware. An old well near the church, surrounded by pavement a foot below the surface, was supposed to be Roman [Journ, Brit. Arch. Soc. xxix, 263]. It was faced from top to bottom with stone ; at the bottom was a sandstone flag, with a hollow space chiselled out in the centre about one foot in width. Pottery was found in a bank near it [Redfern, Hist. Uttoxeter, 59]. WALL. Here was undoubtedly the station of Letocetum or Etocetum of the Antonine Itinerary and the ' Lectoceto civitas ' of Ravennas, the distances laid down in the second Iter agreeing approximately with the actual measurements [Haverfield, V.C.H. Wore, i, 214; Horsley, Brit. Rom. 436; Journ. Brit. Arch. Assoc. ii, 15; Arch, viii, 95; xi, 92; Pitt, Hist. Staffs, i, 4 ; Wrottesley, in N. Staffs. Field Club Trans. (1901-2), xxxvi, 130-1 ; i 193 2 5