CPAT Regional Sites & Monuments Record

PRN 100024 (part of 100020 ) - Ffrith Roman site, building VI, "Arosfa" & "Emdyklin"

Whilst digging foundations for Arosfa House in 1910 a Roman plastered wall was found. Subsequent excavations in the rear garden revealed the foundations of a circular room 10.6m in diameter plus other walling.

Excavations in advance of housing development in 1967-9 revealed complex stratigraphy of a wooden building (PRN 88737) overlain by a masonry building.

The masonry building had a minimum of 7 rooms, the upper courses of the limestone and sandstone walls were bonded in lime mortar (up to 3 survived in places) with the lower 3 courses being drystone. Extensive robbing had occurred:- Room 1 - traced by curving wall, probably apsidal measuring 9.5 x 7.5m Room 2 - only small section traced Room 3 - north part of site, interpreted as measuring 5.3m x 12.5m and being the same room/building as that exposed in 1910 (PRN 88734), traces of internal wall plaster, possible small domestic shrine present within Room 4 - recognised by opus signinum floor Room 5 - recognised by length of walling with a gap near its S end, charcoal found in backfill of gap, suggesting a praefurnium flue and that this room was heated Room 6 - postulated from walls noted in 1910 and 1968. Probably heated Room 7 - to north of 6, presence indicated by in situ wall plaster on N face of Room 6 wall.

Two short lengths of wall and a gully were noticed in Trench H to the west of the above rooms.

Dates for masonry building c.AD125-180. The building was either a villa or bath house. Two Legion XX tiles suggest legionary connections (Blockley, K, 1989a).

May be rediscovery of PRN 100021.

Sources:-
Acton, T A , 1910 , ,
Blockley, K , 1989 , "Excavations on the Romano-British Settlement at Ffrith, Clwyd, 1967-9 ", Flintshire Historical Society Journal 32 , 135-165 .
CCC visit form , 1980 , ,
CPAT , 2002 , ,
Cadw AM107 , 2000 , FL164(FLT) ,
Davies, E , 1949 , Prehistoric and Roman Remains of Flintshire , 226-38
OS record card , 1982 , SJ 25 NE 8 ,
RCAHM , 1912 , Inventory of the Ancient Monuments in Wales and Monmouth II - County of Flintshire , 55-6
Room, R E , 1968 , "Excavations at the Roman site of Ffrith, Flintshire ", Publications of the Flintshire Historical Society Journal 23 , 82-5 .
Taylor, M C , 1922 , "Roman Flintshire ", Publications of the Flintshire Historical Society Journal 9 , 71 .
Unknown , 1968 , , 176
Unknown , 1972 , , 361
Unknown , 1989 , , 135-65

record created 31/12/80 SG80 - copyright CPAT , last updated 11/04/05
The above data are supplied by CPAT in partnership with its Local Authorities and the partners of END, © CPAT SMR partnership, 2005 (and in part © Crown, 2005 - as indicated)

CM - 11/04/05 ( 16:38:22 ) - HTML file produced from CPAT's Regional SMR
Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust, Curatorial Section, 7a Church Street, Welshpool, Powys SY21 7DL.
tel (01938) 553670 , fax (01938) 552179, email trust@cpat.org.uk , website www.cpat.org.uk