Water Newton

The site of a walled Roman-British town situated where the Roman road from the English Channel ports to London crossed the River Medway at the head of its estuary. It was a large and important Roman pottery town, center of production for the Nene Valley color-coated ware. Water Newton grew out of the civilian settlement attached to an early-period Roman fort (c 45 AD). Aerial photography shows a large expanse of industrial development, marking Water Newton as one of the major industrial area of Roman Britain. The hoard of Christian silver plate from the 4th century AD, indicates local affluence and is possibly the earliest group of Christian silver of that time.

[Roman Durobrivae]. 25 km from Peterborough in Cambridgeshire, eastern England, this was a large and important Roman pottery town, centre of production for the Nene Valley colour-coated fine ware, and find-site in particular (1975) of a hoard of 4th-century Christian silver plate. Accessible today from the modem Al trunk road, the Roman town was itself cut into two by the Roman Ermine Street, upon which the town was probably a staging post. Water Newton grew out of the civilian settlement attached to an early-period Roman fort (perhaps c45 ad) sited herewith the likely motive of guarding the crossing of the River Nene. Air photography shows a very large expanse (some claim up to 100 hectares) of sprawling industrial development, much of it probably of a shanty nature, of which only some 18 hectares were ever enclosed by defences. This would mark Water Newton as one of the major industrial areas of Roman Britain, attracting with its prosperity a large number of entrepreneur craftsmen, businessmen and service industries. The hoard of Christian silver plate, presumably emanating from a church or private chapel, also indicates a degree of local affluence. Eight items carry the Chi-Rho monogram, and some are inscribed with Christian motifs. The collection, possibly the earliest group of Christian silver known under the Empire, is now kept in the British Museum.