Construction of the Abberton pipeline has provided the first opportunity
for a major excavation within a Roman small town in Suffolk for more
than 20 years. The pipeline, which extends from Kirtling Green (Suffolk)
at the north end to Wormingford (Essex) at the south, also provided an
opportunity to investigate the hinterland of the Roman town.
Wixoe is one of only eight small towns known within the county and
appears to have developed on both banks of the River Stour, close to an
ancient crossing point and adjacent to the Via Devana. Apart from
antiquarian investigations, little archaeological work had been
undertaken within the town. Recently, however, extensive fieldwalking
and metal detecting surveys conducted by local amateur archaeologists
have led to the recovery of over 4,000 coins from the site of the town
and its environs.
A much clearer history of the town has begun to emerge as a result of
the fieldwalking, geophysical survey, evaluation and excavation
undertaken in advance of the pipeline project. This work has shown that
Wixoe was a post-Boudican planned town probably established at a similar
time to several others in the region. The town appears to have reached
its peak in the 2nd century, following which there seems to have been a
slow decline (at least in the excavated part of the settlement) leading
to its eventual abandonment in the very late 4th or early 5th century.
The excavations produced a significant fmds assemblage that includes a
major collection of pottery, analysis of which has identified supply
patterns similar to other civilian Roman 'borderland' settlements in the
region, especially Great Chesterford.
