Hovingham
A Roman Villa on palatial scale
A
palatial villa
Hovingham
was a significant Roman villa, perhaps on a palatial scale, nearly 10km
southwest from Kirkdale,
and it could have had very extensive holdings, which may have embraced a wider
estate including Beadlam
and Kirkdale.
It was
probably on the Roman Road from Isvrivm Brigantvm
(Aldborough) to Derventio Brigantvm (Malton). The road starts at Malton and follows approximately the
present B1257 Malton-Helmsley road as far as
Hovingham. The road deliberately avoids the tumulus outside Hovingham which is
reputed to be Roman. The metalling of the old road is visible as scattered
stone in the adjacent field between Barton-le-Street and Hovingham. Somewhere
near the villa at Hovingham it ceases to follow the present road and probably
turned in a south-westerly direction passing the villa site and following the
Hovingham-Coulton road.
During the
construction of ornamental gardens, streams and fish-ponds
at Hovingham Hall in 1745 the remains of a Roman bath-suite were found complete
with hypocausts. To the west of this structure another building was excavated
comprising a mosaic floor and, a Ground Penetrating Radar survey has identified
a further rectangular building, 45 metres by 23 metres.
The
remarkable Ryedale
Ritual Bronzes, comprising a bust,
horses head, plumb bob and horse and rider might have been associated with
Hovingham.
or
Go Straight to Chapter 5 – Roman Kirkdale
Or read
about Eboracum (Roman York), the
nearby villa of Beadlam,
or the regional capital of Isurium Brigantum.