Kingscote

Roman Building

Kingscote lies to the south of Gloucester and west of Cirencester in an area which is dotted with Roman remains. There is a Romano-British temple at Lydney Park (SO6102), and Villas at Rodmarton (ST9498), Woodchester (SO8303), Stancombe (ST7497), Frocester (SO7802), Bournes Green (SO9104) and Ifold (SO8510). In Addition, there are other substantial Roman buildings at Cherington (ST9096), Frocester (SO7703), Whitminster (SO7706), Stockend (SO8409) and Duntisbourne Abbots (SO9808).

In addition to these structural remains, a number of inscribed Roman tombstones have been turned up along the line of the main Roman road running north-south between Glevum (Gloucester, Gloucestershire) and Aquae Sulis (Bath, Avon), this road was known to the ancients as Antonine Iter XIV and is nowadays known by the designation Margary#?. Arranged roughly N-S and E-W in the RIB are four inscriptions: a gabled tombstone found in 1835 at Horsely Wood, ½-mile south-west of Horsely, now in the Stroud Museum (Rib 133; NGRef. ST8398); another gabled tombstone found in 1779 at Lasborough, 4 miles east of Wotton-under-Edge, now lost (Rib 134; NGRef. ST8293); a semicircular oolite relief found in 1795 in a barn of Calcot Farm, Newington Bagpath, near Tetbury, 4 miles WNW of Tetbury, now in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford (Rib 135; NGRef. ST8495); a third gabled tombstone found in 1846 within a small enclosure at Nesley Farm, Beverston, now in Corinium Museum (Rib 136; NGRef. ST8693).

RIB133 - Funerary inscription for Julia Ingenuilla
To the spirits of the departed: Julia Ingenuilla lived 20 years, 5 months, 29 days.
D M
IVL INGENVIL
LA VX AN XX M V
D XXVIIII
No commentary.

RIB134 - Funerary inscription for Sulicena
To the spirits of the departed Sulicena lived 14 (or more) years.
D M
SVLICENA
ANNOS
[.]XIIII VIXIT
No commentary.

RIB135 - Dedication
Julius willingly fulfilled (his vow).
ỊVL[...]VS Ḷ S ❦
No commentary. Addenda from RIB+add. (1995): Perhaps Tullus (Alföldy, Review) or Iullus (M.W.C.H.), but Iulius is quite often found independently as a name.

RIB136 - Funerary inscription for Mettus
To the spirits of the departed (and) of Mettus, a Getan by tribe (who) lived 35 years. His heir set (this) up.
D M
METTI N
ATION
GETA
VIXIT
ANN XXXV
H P
Mommsen notes (EE vii 840) that the tribal area is given in the Greek form Geta, and not Dacus.

References for Kingscote

  • Historical Map and Guide – Roman Britain by the Ordnance Survey (3rd, 4th & 5th eds., 1956, 1994 & 2001);
  • The Roman Inscriptions of Britain by R.G. Collingwood and R.P. Wright (Oxford 1965).

Map References for Kingscote

NGRef: ST8095 OSMap: LR162/163

Roman Roads near Kingscote

None identified