Boxmoor Roman villa, Hertfordshire (HE-SPI03)

Clients: Boxmoor Homes Ltd

Author: George Dennis

Site supervisor: Portia Askew

MoLAS has undertaken successive desk-based study and field evaluation work from 2002, in advance of a housing scheme, leading to further selective excavation in 2004. The development is close to the Scheduled Ancient Monument of Boxmoor Roman villa. The aim of the project was to examine the immediate surrounding area of the villa estate for supporting infrastructure, such as outlying barns and workshops, and the initial assessment included a geophysical survey. Although the upper chalk slope has been heavily truncated by later ploughing, the field investigations recorded a minor Roman road, in the form of a sunken metalled lane leading towards the principal highway, now London Road, forming the site frontage. Individual finds included pottery, demolition debris from the villa and a Roman sledgehammer.

This site report is extracted from MoLAS 2004: annual review