|
Site Name:
|
Broadfield |
OS Reference:
|
TQ 2597 3514
Click here to view on Where's The Path |
|
Parish:
|
Crawley |
Former Parish:
|
Ifield |
|
Hundred:
|
|
District:
|
Crawley |
|
County:
|
West Sussex |
River Basin:
|
Mole |
|
Site Type:
|
Bloomery |
Period:
|
Iron Age, Roman |
|
Century:
|
04, 1BC, 02, 03, 01 |
Geology:
|
Weald Clay |
|
Geology notes:
|
|
|
Earliest known date:
|
|
Latest known date:
|
|
|
Dating evidence:
|
Radiocarbon dates from furnaces: 370BC-AD140. Roman pottery from 1st - 3rd century AD, possibly 4th century, but the majority from the 1st and 2nd centuries.
|
|
Site Description:
|
Domestic and industrial areas which are thought to cover 12 hectares were revealed by rescue excavations between 1969 and 1975 in advance of building development at Broadfield and Southgate West. Many of the stages in manufacturing iron by the bloomery process are represented by features which include ore-roasting areas, three slag dumps, 40+ smelting furnaces, puddling pits, a water reservoir and a blacksmith's workshop. the site spans a shallow valley with sandstone hills to the south. The main occupation is at the base of these hills at 80m above sea level, on Weald Clay. One of the excavated domestic settlements was found to be surrounded by a ditch and low bank, enclosing a rectangular area, measuring approximately 76m x 63m. Two substantial buildings were uncovered inside this area, as well as various post pits and walls indicating others. In the north-east corner of the enclosure a rectangular area of slag and furnace debris has been interpreted as hard standing for transport.
|
|
Scheduled Monument Number:
|
|
HER Reference:
|
MWS5787 |
|
Bay Height (m.):
|
|
Bay Length (m.):
|
|
|
Classis Britannica tiles:
|
No |
Samian pottery:
|
Yes |
|
Cylindrical slag plugs:
|
No |
Two-finery forge:
|
No |
|
Excavation?:
|
Yes |
|
|
Excavation Details:
|
See Gibson-Hill 1975 and 1976, and Cartwright 1992.
|
|
Description of site vegetation:
|
|
|
Slag Heap Area (m. sq) :
|
|
Slag heap grade (Hodgkinson 1999):
|
3 |
|
Persons Involved in Discovery:
|
|
|
|
|
|
References:
|
Hodgkinson, J. S.. (1999) Romano-British iron production in the Sussex and Kent Weald: a review of current data. Historical Metallurgy. 33, no. 2. pp. 68-72
(for this site see page(s) 70)
Pine, J.. (2013) A re-investigation of Late Iron Age and Roman iron production, and Saxon activity, at Rathlin Road, Crawley. Sussex Archaeological Collections. 151. pp. 13-25
Pettitt, J., Gibson-Hill, J. et al . (1973) Reports of District Teams. Bulletin of the Wealden Iron Research Group. 1st series, 5. pp. 13-15
Cleere, H. F.. (1971) Broadfields, Crawley. Wealden Iron, Bulletin of the Wealden Iron Research Group. First series, 2. pp. 7
Gibson-Hill, J.. (1972) Crawley: The rescue excavations at Broadfields. Wealden Iron, Bulletin of the Wealden Iron Research Group. 1st series, 4. pp. 25-26
Gibson-Hill, J.. (1974) Notes on lifting a Furnace Base from the Romano-British Bloomery Site at Broadfield, Crawley, Sussex. Historical Metallurgy. 8, no. 1. pp. 50-53
Gibson-Hill, J. & Worssam, B. C.. (1976) Analyses of Wealden iron ores and their archaeological significance. Bulletin of the Institute of Archaeology. 13. pp. 247-263
Cleere, H. F. and Crossley, D. W.. (1995) The iron industry of the Weald. Merton Priory Press. Cardiff
(for this site see page(s) 297)
Cleere, H. F.. (1974) The Roman Iron Industry of the Weald and its Connexions with the Classis Britannica. Archaeological Journal. 131. pp. 171-199
(for this site see page(s) 192)
Gibson-Hill, J.. (1975) The excavation of a Romano-British ironworking site at Broadfields, Crawley, West Sussex. Bulletin of the Institute of Archaeology. 12. pp. 35-42
Gibson-Hill, J.. (1976) Further excavations at the Romano-British ironworking site at Broadfields, Crawley, West Sussex. Bulletin of the Institute of Archaeology. 13. pp. 79-88
Gibson-Hill, J.. (1980) Cylindrical shaft furnaces of the early Wealden iron industry: circa 100BC to 300AD. Historical Metallurgy. 14. 1. pp. 21-27
Cartwright, C. (1992) The excavation of a Romano-British iron working site at Broadfield, Crawley, West Sussex. Sussex Archaeological Collections. 130. pp. 22-59
|
|
Persons with known connections to this site:
|
|
Documents:
(click to download)
|
|
Images:
(click on a thumbnail to view)
|
|
|
