Page:VCH Staffordshire 1.djvu/236

A HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE found three earthen r esses full of bones, bat brake diem to Butts, other walls weie found, apparently of a large number of copprr articles, draught to be a buckle and a brooch, and bones of a;Ml There a a tradition in die neighbourhood dut a subterranean passage went from ' die Butts ' to Casde Croft, and dtat it was opened when die road was altered, bat k could not be found in 1872, -hough search was made for it Jmrm. Brit. Arct. Asm. (Ser. rhri, 227-31]. The field called 'Casde Croft* is said to hare been surrounded by walk, apparently risible in 1817, and in a garden there pavements, said to be ' of Roman brick, and great qiiaKBJCs of stones were dug up [Pitt, Hist. Staffs, i, 128-9; Cox. Mag. Brit, r, 25]. Some excavations were made in 1859 in Casde Croft, when a trench was a a wall, apparently to die south-west of die field running paraDd to Wading Street, and ' a quadrangular room was opened, though not cleared, with a floor about 3 ft. below die surface composed of hard concrete curaed with a coat of plaster. Here was an abundance of ridged tiles of fine red clay.' These tiles were probably floe-tiles, one of diem had die letters PS upon it (see awte) ; slates of a greenish colour widi nail or peg boles and die "*"f^ ptryr ^ of wall plaster corered with stripes of red, tf t t fm } yellow, uuwii ana white vuc also found. Animal bones, oyster shells, potsherds, glass, coins supposed to be of Nero (A.D. 54-68) and Constantius (A.D. 291-306) were ako discovered and sent to die Lkhfield Museum [Letter by 'Antiquary ' to die Staffs. Advertiser, 1 8 June, 1859]. This site was apparently again excavated in 1872 ; a small chamber, die walk of which were 2 ft. thick, was disclosed. No coins were found, bat Samian ware and other pottery, large worked stones about i ft. square, fragments of roofing-tiles, coloured wall plaster widi floral ifc , blocks of concrete made of pounded brick and Wakall lime, ako pebbles and lime and a great variety of other remains of buildings were discovered. Human and animal booes are said to hare been found Jrum. Brit. Arch. Ass*. (Ser. i), xxix, 1 1 6]. Many fragments of Samian were discovered in Castle Croft, though there were none in ' die Butts.' A few coins, ; of flint and a very little ?lass were also found. In die field on die south side of Wading Street called Chesterfield w*-e found remains which have been conjectured, probably on insufficient grounds, to hare been lead works. There are no traces of masonry, but at about 4 ft. from die surface a layer of clay was found, about 6 in. thick, and under it, in different places, charcoal and sand ; the clay must hare been brought to die spot, as diere is none in die neizhbourhood. Beneath it were quantities of animals' bones, and pieces of iron and iron- cinder. One piece of iron was thought to be a horse-bit, and two were probably door-handles 1 6 in. in lenzth. Very little pottery was seen, bur quantities of lead and copper, some umhJ !ead, a copper key, a finite, small copper naik, pieces of plate or sheet copper, a few coins and some fragments or" glass. A considerable amount of ashes and burnt day was ako found with the metals [^jin. Brit. Ar;b. AUK. (Ser. i), xlvi, 227-31]. In Chesterfield Roman COMB were found. One of Nero (A-D. 54-6?), one of Vespasian (A.D. 709), one of Domrtian (A.D. 8 1-96} 'O.S. Kiii, 6], also the remains of a column, already alluded to, a piece of Samian ware, some tnstrat from a pavement, ice. A gold Otho (A.D. 69) was dog up in 1690, but exactly where is not known [Plot, af. Hist. Staffs. 401 ; Erdeswick, Sxrv. rf Staffs, (ed. Harwood), 301 ; Stebbing Shaw, Hist. Staffs, i, 18]. Colonel Bagnall states dut he was told upon good authority diat in Green Lane, near the point where it branches off from Wading Street, a stone coffin containing human remains was discovered [jfmrm. Brit. Arch. Ante. (Ser. i), xlvi, 230]. If die coffin was Reman this is an improbable site, as die Romans did not bury their dead within their towns. Probably we h^ve here a village or even a small town, but proper excavation alone can tell us its story. WAI* *ii- At Linley, near Wakall, a fibula and several coins were found in 1759 [Willmore, Hist. Walsall, 25]. WEDXESBCKT. A quantity of Roman coins in good preservation was dug up on Sir H. St. Paul's properrr in 1817. Among diem were said to be coins of Nero (A.D. 54-68), Vespasian (AJX. 70-9), 'and Trajan (AJ>. 98-117) Gtmt. Mag. (1817), ii, 551 ; Willmore, Hist. WabalL, 25]-' Wrrros. Between 1848 aad 1852 die fields known as die ' Borough Hole' near Wetton were systematically excavated, and die sites of numerous dwellings, forming probably a Romano- British village, were discovered. This settlement may possibly hare been inhabited by die miners who worked at die lead mines in this district during die Romano-British period. Pavements of rough limestone, large blocks of stone, quantities of charcoal, ashes, animal bones, numerous pieces of Roman and British pottery, broken querns, iron utensik, &c. were disinterred. Coins of Gallienus (A.D. 253-68), Tetricus (A.D. 268-73) an ^ 196