Stone buttresses, New Weir Roman Site, The Weir, Swainshill

Summary

A pair of stone buttresses supporting the river back 50m upstream of the cistern.This pair of buttresses lie c 50m upstream of the roman cistern. The most distant is the one with best preserved masonry standing to about 4m high. The river elevation, much overgrown with ivy in 1977, has a base of large blocks of cut stone with a well coursed wall of smaller stones above.

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Description

This pair of buttresses lie c 50m upstream of the roman cistern [77124] and is part of a possible Roman bath house riverside complex at The Weir (group record 70099). The buttresses have some of the best preserved masonry standing to about 4m high.

(1) The river elevation, much overgrown with ivy at the time the 1977 report was written, has a base of large blocks of cut stone with a well coursed wall of smaller stones above. Similar masonry continues at right angles into the bank to the north-east where the stonework rises higher and has a plastered surface. The large block of the buttress, stepping into the bank of the footings. At the north-west of the main part of the buttress, and at right angles, an upper wall continues into the bank and the remains of a mortar floor can be seen over 1 metre below the present ground level with building debris above. Traces of other cross walls, Roman tile and mortar are visible in the river bank immediately upstream. East of this buttress and about 3m forward from its face is a second buttress. Only the large stone footings remain and are covered in a growth of tufa. Between the two buttresses in the river bank is a mass of fallen roofing stone. [SNA62386]

The river bank for some distance downstream of the buttresses is littered with large blocks of masonry, similar to the buttress foundations. [SNA62386]

(2) The second report of the Woolhope Naturalists' Field Club [SNA62388] in 1894 considers the buttresses as examined by members of the club in 1893. The masonry was at first considered to be a bridge abutment but was later decided to more likely represent a quay. Both reports considered that the remains were medieval rather than Roman [SNA62388]

(3) In 1995 the buttresses were strengthened and a protective 'apron' was built along the base of each structure to protect them from the river. During this work two trenches were dug by Cotswold Archaeology Trust on top of the north buttress and a major detailed survey of the terrace was carried out. This recorded all the visible remains including stone building blocks found on the river bed whilst the apron was being built. Next to the north buttress several large blocks were recorded and these are thought to be the remains of large stairs leading down to the water's edge. Small sections of wall and piles of roof tiles were also seen sticking out from the river bank below the terrace. The trenches uncovered a small room and doorway on top of the north buttress.

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