Correspondence relating to Yewden Roman villa
Reference code
GOW/04/04/02
Title
Correspondence relating to Yewden Roman villa
Level of description
File
Extent and format
1 folder
Scope and content
Yewden Roman villa, Hambledon, Buckinghamshire was excavated by AH Cocks, 1912.
1. 1912, 21 June. Typescript copy of a letter from [Francis Haverfield] to Gowland: yesterday visited a Roman 'villa' between Henley and Marlow, where some furnaces had been found; the simplest resembled one at Caerwent, from which some slag had been sent to Gowland; slag found at this site as well, of which Haverfield believes Gowland has been sent samples.
2. 1912, 23 June. Letter from Cocks to Gowland: is glad that Gowland can visit, and will collect him from Henley [station]; looks forward to Gowland's report on the slag - in addition to the grey variety of which Gowland has a sample, there is some 'rust-coloured material', probably iron slag.
3. 1912, 9 July. Letter from Cocks to Gowland: Bushe-Fox visited Yewden yesterday, and found some charred grains of wheat and barley adhering to the inside of a furnace in the 3rd House; asks Gowland if this throws any light on the use of the furnaces?
4. 1912, 15 July. Letter from Cocks to Gowland, thanking him for his report on the use of the Roman furnaces at Yewden; still wonders why there was so much iron slag; today, in presence of M[ill] Stephenson, opened a furnace of simpler construction (sketched); Stephenson has said that Gowland is 'just going to Stonehenge', so Cocks asks if Gowland could stop first at Henley, to visit Yewden. Encloses a letter from Haverfield, which he asks Gowland to return at his leisure.
5. 1912, 4 July. MS copy of letter from Haverfield to Cocks, giving the report by 'our chemists' [Oxford University] on the slag, the brown material being from iron, the lighter probably scoria or slag skimmed from molten metal. [copy of the letter enclosed in Cocks's letter of 15 July.]
6. 1912, 16 July. Typescript letter from Haverfield to Gowland, thanking him for his letter and enclosures; he too had noticed lumps of chalk, and is still puzzled about the slag and by the T-shaped ends to the flues.
7. 1912, 17 July. Letter from Cocks to Gowland, thanking him for telegram, and asking if Gowland might postpone his visit until later on the Friday, or the Saturday.
8. 1912. Notes, on three sheets: in Gowland's hand, a draft letter, containing the opening paragraphs of Appendix 1 to Cocks's report; in another hand, a draft of the final portion of Appendix 1, but more discursive; in a third notes on Roman reaping and threshing practices, from the classical authors referred to in the footnotes to Appendix 1.
9. ?1912. Drawings, ink, on three sheets.
- 'Heating apparatus in 2nd house Yewden Villa' (corresponds with the structure in the photograph at Plate XV, fig2, of Cocks's report).
- 'In "3rd house" Yewden Villa / East Furnace' (corresponds with the structure in the photograph at Plate XVII, fig 2, of Cocks's report).
- 'In "3rd house" Yewden Villa / West Furnace' (does not correspond with any illustration in Cocks's report, but is referred to as 'right-hand furnace', p 152).
Cocks's report explicitly acknowledges the help of Gowland, Stephenson and others, along with an appendix by Gowland on the furnaces (Archaeologia 71 (1921), 141, 152-53, 158).
1. 1912, 21 June. Typescript copy of a letter from [Francis Haverfield] to Gowland: yesterday visited a Roman 'villa' between Henley and Marlow, where some furnaces had been found; the simplest resembled one at Caerwent, from which some slag had been sent to Gowland; slag found at this site as well, of which Haverfield believes Gowland has been sent samples.
2. 1912, 23 June. Letter from Cocks to Gowland: is glad that Gowland can visit, and will collect him from Henley [station]; looks forward to Gowland's report on the slag - in addition to the grey variety of which Gowland has a sample, there is some 'rust-coloured material', probably iron slag.
3. 1912, 9 July. Letter from Cocks to Gowland: Bushe-Fox visited Yewden yesterday, and found some charred grains of wheat and barley adhering to the inside of a furnace in the 3rd House; asks Gowland if this throws any light on the use of the furnaces?
4. 1912, 15 July. Letter from Cocks to Gowland, thanking him for his report on the use of the Roman furnaces at Yewden; still wonders why there was so much iron slag; today, in presence of M[ill] Stephenson, opened a furnace of simpler construction (sketched); Stephenson has said that Gowland is 'just going to Stonehenge', so Cocks asks if Gowland could stop first at Henley, to visit Yewden. Encloses a letter from Haverfield, which he asks Gowland to return at his leisure.
5. 1912, 4 July. MS copy of letter from Haverfield to Cocks, giving the report by 'our chemists' [Oxford University] on the slag, the brown material being from iron, the lighter probably scoria or slag skimmed from molten metal. [copy of the letter enclosed in Cocks's letter of 15 July.]
6. 1912, 16 July. Typescript letter from Haverfield to Gowland, thanking him for his letter and enclosures; he too had noticed lumps of chalk, and is still puzzled about the slag and by the T-shaped ends to the flues.
7. 1912, 17 July. Letter from Cocks to Gowland, thanking him for telegram, and asking if Gowland might postpone his visit until later on the Friday, or the Saturday.
8. 1912. Notes, on three sheets: in Gowland's hand, a draft letter, containing the opening paragraphs of Appendix 1 to Cocks's report; in another hand, a draft of the final portion of Appendix 1, but more discursive; in a third notes on Roman reaping and threshing practices, from the classical authors referred to in the footnotes to Appendix 1.
9. ?1912. Drawings, ink, on three sheets.
- 'Heating apparatus in 2nd house Yewden Villa' (corresponds with the structure in the photograph at Plate XV, fig2, of Cocks's report).
- 'In "3rd house" Yewden Villa / East Furnace' (corresponds with the structure in the photograph at Plate XVII, fig 2, of Cocks's report).
- 'In "3rd house" Yewden Villa / West Furnace' (does not correspond with any illustration in Cocks's report, but is referred to as 'right-hand furnace', p 152).
Cocks's report explicitly acknowledges the help of Gowland, Stephenson and others, along with an appendix by Gowland on the furnaces (Archaeologia 71 (1921), 141, 152-53, 158).