Gatcombe, Somerset
| Gatcombe | |
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| Location | Long Ashton, Somerset, England |
| Coordinates | 51°25′32″N 2°40′56″W / 51.42556°N 2.68222°WCoordinates: 51°25′32″N 2°40′56″W / 51.42556°N 2.68222°W |
| Official name: Gatcombe Settlement | |
| Designated | 1995 |
| Reference no. | 197955 |
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Listed Building – Grade II*
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| Official name: Gatcombe Court | |
| Designated | 16 March 1984 |
| Reference no. | 33492 |
 Location of Gatcombe in Somerset
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Gatcombe at Ashton Watering within the civil parish of Long Ashton, Somerset, England, is the location of a Grade II* listed building which was built on the site of a Roman settlement.
It is close to the Land Yeo river, the A370 road and the Bristol to Exeter railway line.
Roman remains were first identified at the site in 1839 when a railway cutting was being constructed. Excavations in the 1960s showed that the site was occupied from the middle of the 1st century until at least the fifth century, demonstrated by the coins of Theodosius, Magnus Maximus and Arcadius which have been found. The full extent of the site is unclear, beyond a specific villa but there is some evidence that the site is much more extensive, possibly forming a village or even a town. It has been speculated that this may be the site of Iscalis as described by Ptolemy, however it has also been suggested this may have been at Charterhouse Roman Town.
The Roman site had a 15 feet (4.6 m) wide wall around it, enclosing an area of around 16 acres (6.5 ha), although this is obscured on the southern side near the railway line, A 60 feet (18 m) deep well has also been uncovered.
At least nineteen agricultural buildings have been identified within the enclosure. In addition one building at the southern end of the site included a colonnade and mosaic and other features suggesting it was a sizeable Roman villa. A magnetometry survey conducted during 2009 and 2010 identified several likely buildings outside the enclosed area.
The site was connected to Abbots Leigh by a Roman road.
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