West Yorkshire Archaeology Advisory Service
Several finds which would indicate the presence of a Roman settlement have been made in and around Wetherby, although the nucleus and nature of the site still remain to be established. Bones and quernstones were found during the construction of the railway station to the west of the town and other burials have been noted from the market place. Burials have also been found at Spofforth Hill and in nearby Wraby Park.
Possibly the most significant find was made during the years 1928 and 1929 when gravel extraction work on unoccupied land to the west of the parish church revealed a number of interments of Roman date. These were recorded by Kent and Clark although they state also that ‘human remains were several times noticed and removed with the gravel’. A number of these burials were stone boxes, or cists as they are sometimes known. The cists themselves were made out of roofing slabs, but none of them contained grave goods. The site showed signs of occupation prior to its use as a burial ground. Finds included coins of the mid and late 4th century. If these were occupation debris, it would suggest an even later date for the use of the site as a burial ground.
At Wattle Syke 1 mile to the south of Wetherby, the West Yorkshire Archaeology Service excavated a Romano-British farmstead which overlay an earlier Iron Age field system. The outline of one hut circle was recovered along with features such as a corn-drying oven and a grain storage pit.
Archaeologists also found three burials on the site. Although no dating evidence was recovered, one of the burials was situated in a ditched enclosure similar to those of the Arras culture burials in East Yorkshire. This would suggest an Iron Age date for the Wattle Syke burials.
Related topics
Further reading
Clark, M. K., 1934 ‘Roman Yorkshire 1933’ Yorkshire Archaeological Journal 31
Turner, R., 1991, ‘Roman Sites in West Yorkshire: recent investigations by the West Yorkshire Archaeology Service’ Bulletin of the Roman Archaeology Section (of the Yorkshire Archaeology Society).
This material was compiled by Dave Weldrake, Education Officer,
West Yorkshire Archaeology Advisory Service,
Registry of Deeds,
Newstead Road, Wakefield WF1 2DE
Telephone: 01924 306809
Fax: 01924 306810
Email: WYHER@wyjs.org.uk