Test Pit at Bollands Hill, Seend, Wiltshire

Evidence of Roman iron ore roasting had been found in a neighbouring field in 2022-23. Test pits were excavated to see if the high magnetic responses shown on a geophysical survey were the result of iron smelting activity and, if so, to date when this could have been happening. The test pitting exercise has shown that Roman iron smelting was taking place in the field and that a significant amount of iron was being produced. In 2023 and 2024 a Roman iron roasting operation had been found in the field to the west. It is likely that the roasted ore was brought across to be smelted in bloomery iron ore tapping furnaces which were being regularly constructed and fired in the field. These furnaces were constructed using the high quality clay available on the ridge. No evidence was found to show that the blooms extracted from the furnaces were beingprocessed on site.