The Bedale Enclosure and Aiskew Villa: Archaeological investigations ahead of the Bedale, Aiskew and Leeming Bar Bypass (A684), North Yorkshire

In 2015, the construction of a new road bypassed Bedale, Aiskew, and Leeming Bar revealed the site of a pre-Roman enclosure and a Roman villa near Aiskew. Both structures were situated alongside a routeway on higher ground, coinciding with the modern road's route. The Bedale enclosure was dated to the Middle Iron Age, with substantial recuttings and final infilling deposits including Roman material. The Aiskew villa, dating mainly to the third and fourth centuries, was well-appointed with heated rooms and a perimeter ditch. Finds from these structures demonstrate a high-quality lifestyle befitting elite owners, with proximity to contemporary military camps and key settlements.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 312 pages
Publication date: 15 October 2022
Publisher: Pre-Construct Archaeology Limited

In 2015, a groundbreaking project commenced, leading to the construction of a new road that bypassed the modern towns of Bedale, Aiskew, and Leeming Bar. The anticipation was that an ancient enclosure, believed to date back to pre-Roman times, would be located along the route of the new road near Bedale. However, to everyone's surprise, the site of a hitherto unknown Roman villa near Aiskew was also discovered. Interestingly, both the enclosure and the villa were situated alongside a routeway that ran on slightly higher ground above local floodplains, which coincided with the exact route taken by the modern road.

The initial construction of the Bedale enclosure could be traced back to the Middle Iron Age, with well-preserved ditch deposits indicating several substantial recuttings of the ditch. The final infilling deposits included Roman material dating as late as the latter part of the second century. The adjacent routeway, as excavated, belonged to this later phase of activity, but there was evidence for an earlier precursor.

The Aiskew villa, dating mainly to the third and fourth centuries, was only partially examined. Geophysics revealed that the complex covered a much larger area and included numerous other structures. The excavated rooms were exceptionally well-appointed, featuring high-quality wall plaster. One heated room was added at a later date. Beyond the villa, a perimeter ditch marked the boundary of the villa complex itself, and field systems were also discovered. The findings from these excavations showcased a high-quality lifestyle befitting elite owners. While the identities of these elites remain a subject of debate, the proximity of contemporary military camps to the west and key settlements alongside Dere Street to the east position the villa in a highly convenient location for access to both.

Weight: 1210g
Dimension: 210 x 297 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781999615581