Two ancient Roman farms have been discovered by an archaeology company during preparations for the construction of the Southern Connector Road.

The area to the east of Swindon is rich in archaeology, stretching back thousands of years. One of the most well-known and studied sites is to the east of Covingham, called Durocornovium, which originates from the first century AD.

Now Headland Archaeology, working on behalf of Swindon Borough Council, have made a discovery that could tell us more about what life was like on the outskirts of the historic town. 

"This will allow us to find out more about the areas around Durocornovium – and more about the people that built, lived, and even died there, without disturbing the centre of the town – which is now a Scheduled Monument," the council said. 

"It will also help us to understand life on the fringes of the town, which historically wasn’t the focus of investigations, and so are often less well understood today."

Archaeologists have known about the town since at least the 17th Century and excavations in the 1960s and 1970s revealed buildings and road surfaces complete with wagon ruts, as well as several artefacts such as coins, brooches, and pottery.

The find comes as part preliminary investigations prior to the construction of the Southern Connector Road, which will serve as access for the NewEastern Villages development.

Swindon Advertiser: Magnetometer survey in progressMagnetometer survey in progress

Work can't begin until all archaeological remains are fully taken into account in the design of the scheme.

The fields around the Southern Connector Road were subject to thorough geophysical surveys prior to any investigation.

This involves the use of equipment such as a magnetometer – which sends magnetic waves into the ground. The signal that bounces back can give an indication of the density of objects below.

The signal responses are then printed out as a plan and these are analysed for ‘trends’ - shapes that form similar patterns to archaeology that has been encountered in other excavations.

After this, the area was subject to test trenches to evaluate the geophysics results and plan the best route for the road - to cause the least impact on the archaeological remains. 

Headland Archaeology has been recording and investigating to ensure all parties understand as much as we can about the archaeology before any construction begins.

Swindon Borough Council has said it will be providing further updates about the archaeology in the coming weeks.