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A Roman lime kiln – possibly one of the first to be excavated in Gloucestershire – was discovered during excavations at Horsbere Brook at the Centre Severn development in Barnwood, a suburb of Gloucester. Excavations of the site were carried out by Cotswold Archaeology between September 2020 and February 2021, in advance of planned development.
During the Roman period, the Severn Vale was a rich agricultural landscape filled with high-status villas surrounding Glevum (Roman Gloucester), which was a colonia founded for retired Roman soldiers. In line with this, the team quickly uncovered features typical of a Roman farm, including field boundaries and enclosures. They also found two Roman buildings, the grave of an adult woman aged 40-44 and radiocarbon dated to AD 226-336, and a collection of deliberately placed pottery, which may have been part of a ‘structured deposition’. The most exciting discovery, however, was the large lime kiln, suggesting that this site was more than just your typical Roman rural settlement.
The kiln was found on the north-eastern section of the site and was exceptionally well-preserved. Built during the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, it measured 4m across and 2m high (13.1ft by 6.6ft). Made from stone blocks instead of clay, it featured an internal ledge and a rare partition wall, which extended 4m (13.1ft) into the opening. This would probably have improved air circulation and efficiency.
When it was in use it would have produced quicklime, the main ingredient in making mortar, cement, and plaster for buildings. Situated between the limestone uplands of the Cotswolds and the Forest of Dean, it would have been well placed for easy access to both raw materials and fuel. Such a large structure probably served not only the nearby settlement buildings, perhaps including a high-status building found just 20m (65.6ft) east of this site in the 1970s, but also nearby Glevum and even buildings as far away as Corinium (Roman Cirencester). The lime kiln does not appear to have had a long lifespan, however, falling out of use before the end of the 3rd century, when the chamber was filled with rubble, either purposefully or through natural collapse.
Text: Rebecca Preedy / Image: Cotswold Archaeology
