Mysterious Roman site discovered by archaeologists on Transpennine Route in Ravensthorpe

The “exciting” discoveries have revealed a possible historic small settlement dating back to Roman times, with environmental samples being processed in order to learn the full extent of the findings.

For the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) team, groundworks are an important step in the delivery of upgrades across the route between Manchester, Huddersfield, Dewsbury, Leeds and York.

In certain areas, such work means archaeological fieldwork is necessary in order to identify, understand and safeguard heritage assets that may be affected.

With TRU upgrades being carried out in West Yorkshire, archaeologists from Oxford Archaeology North took to multiple sites on the route in between Huddersfield and Dewsbury.

Excavations at Heaton Lodge and Thornhill Lees Farm produced more commonly found, industrial post-medieval archaeology in the form of earthworks and other minor finds, with no significant remains.

However, it was in Ravensthorpe that uncovered some archaeological mysteries.

Following initial work, further investigation of the site was required after the discovery of a large, irregularly shaped cropmark that was thought to be of a prehistoric date.

In April 2023, a geophysical survey was undertaken, which suggested that the feature was, most probably, an Iron Age or Romano-British enclosure, due to its hexagonal shape and internal penannular features.

An archaeological evaluation identified that the enclosure was fairly substantial in size, and was therefore subject to a strip, map and record towards the end of the year.

Despite there being limited artefactual remains, a collection of Romano-British ceramics, ceramic building materials, flint, glass and animal bones were all recovered at the site.

Catherine O’Doherty, Site Supervisor, said: “We have a possible small-scale settlement with round house-like features and boundary ditches which yielded limited finds of a Roman date.

“This is interesting as sites such as this are limited in West Yorkshire, making this site an exciting discovery.”