Durocornovium

Durocornovium was a Roman town situated on the Roman road between Corinium Dobunnorum (Cirencester) and Calleva Atrebatum (Silchester). In many ways Durocornovium was a typical small Roman town, and visitors to Corbridge at Hadrian's Wall in the north of England can get a sense of the claustrophobic conditions the town may well have had.

Site

The town, encompassing around 25 hectares at its peak, was located at Nythe Farm, east of the A419 adjacent to modern Swindon, although the site is usually associated with the village of Wanborough to the southeast. The farmland is a designated flood plain and has a history of inundation, alleviated by modern drainage, based on clay and gravel beds.

There is no public access and no remains are visible.

Excavations

The following digs have been made at Durocornovium.

1692 - Workmen uncovered an earthen pot containing two thousand coins dated no later than the reign of Commodus

1862 - Sir R.C.Hoare made a visit to the site and found it had every mark of Roman residence, in coins, figured bricks, tiles, but unfortunately, had not preserved them.

1967 - Evidence of stone buildings uncovered.

1968 - A stone building found plus cobbled surfaces and post holes.

1969 - Six week dig that revealed earlier buildings.

1970 - Inconclusive dig in areas suffering from post-Roman disturbance.

1975 - Two trenches dug and material recovered.

1976 - The most extensive dig which allowed a chronology for the town to be created.

Interpretation

The names of...
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