Romano-British Villas
Suspected Settlement

Somerdale and Keynsham, Avon?

NGRef: ST6460
OSMap: LR172
Type: Villas, Settlement?
Roads
See TRAIECTVS (Bitton, nr, Willsbridge, Avon)

Two Romano-British villas lie at Somerdale (ST6569) and Keynsham (ST6469) in Avon, just to the south of the Roman road between Sea Mills and Bath, immediately opposite the junction of the road north to Gloucester via Rangeworthy. There is a single inscription on stone recorded in the R.I.B. for Somerdale and Keynsham.

Altar Base from the Somerdale / Keynsham Area
NVM DIVOR AVG G INDVTIVS FELIX SILVANO VSLM CON VIC GA
"For the divine spirit of the emperor, Gaius Indutius Felix willingly and deservedly fulfils his vow to Silvanus, in celebration of the victories against the Carvetii.¹"
(RIB 181; altar base; dated: AD155)
  1. This dedication possibly refers to the campaigns of governor Gnaeus Julius Verus in north-west England to deal with an insurrection amongst the Carvetii tribe of Cumbria c.AD155, which was to cause the temporary evacuation of the Antonine Wall in Scotland. The emperor involved was Antoninus Pius, the builder of this northernmost Roman frontier. Silvanus was the Roman god of the countryside.
See: The Roman Inscriptions of Britain by R.G. Collingwood and R.P. Wright (Oxford 1965).
All English translations, including any inherent mistakes, are my own.

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