| Description | Possible villa site. Altar found c.1864 in Wike and only tentatively linked with Biggin. Finds included roofing and hypocaust tile, a stone capital, 2 sandstone pineapples, stone guttering, querns, (mainly) 4th century pottery. Trial section by M.Thackrah in 1976 was unproductive. More recent observations of 1970s generally failed to find the substantial material implied by earlier reports.
The cropmarks (PRN 715) add nothing to the interpretation of the site. ABS adds summary (17/6/1987):Hartley's interpretation as a Roman villa seems eminently reasonable. Villa sites commonly produce a low density of occupation material and the nature of the debris recorded here implies that the structures may be suffering continuing plough damage. The significance of the site rests in the paucity of villas in West Yorks; apart from Dalton Parlours (PRN 1908, excavated 1976 9), the other suspected villas at Bingley, Birstall and Snapethorpe are all covered by modern housing.
The location is 6km WSW of Dalton Parlours, 2km N of the E W Roman Rd. 729 (Ilkley Adel Tadcaster), and only 400m N of probable course of a parallel but undesignated minor Roman road. The position of Biggin on the millstone grit W of Collingham Beck closely mirrors that of Dalton Parlours on the magnesian limestone E of Collingham Beck. It would therefore be of interest to determine whether this geological distinction is reflected in the site economies.
Note also possible 1st. 2nd. century coin hoard 1 km. to north west (PRN 2311). Flints found at SE 344 432 during fieldwalking comprised part of a blade, a scraper and one piece waste (present whereabouts unknown but possibly held by WYAS). |