The village of Ancaster lies approximately 18 miles south of Lincoln and 5 miles north-east of Grantham in the County of Lincolnshire, England.

Due to the natural geology of Ancaster, the area appears to have been the focus of human activity since pre-historic times. A pre-historic track way running from south of Lincoln to Ancaster (known today as Pottergate) was used by the Romans, continued in use throughout the medieval period, and is still in use today.

The earliest evidence we have of human occupation in the area dates to the Mesolithic - around 5,000 to 8,000 BC. This is in the form of flints which have been found lying on the surface of the wind blown sand deposits which underlie parts of the Ancaster Gap. More extensive Mesolithic flint deposits have been found further north in the fields between Rauceby and Ancaster.

Evidence for the Iron Age period has been found at various sites in Ancaster. During excavations in 1966, a team from Nottingham University uncovered remains to the west of Ermine Street in the vicinity of the modern day cemetery. More recently, excavations near Castle Quarry uncovered a series of pits and a ditch which were dated to the Middle Iron Age. This confirmed that Iron Age features in the area extended beyond examples already found in the 1960s.

Most likely making use of pre-existing trackways, the Roman’s are known to have established a temporary marching camp on the high ground to the north, overlooking the Ancaster Gap, perhaps recognising the areas strategic importance as a point of access in the landscape. Archaeological evidence suggests that other earlier forts have been built within the area. Turf ramparts and ditches have been discovered to the west of Ermine Street (near the modern cemetery), these are associated with a possible wooden building. Excavations in Castle Quarry revealed a V shape Roman military ditch, as well as a ‘titulum style’ entrance from a possible Roman military camp.

As at similar sites, Roman occupation extended outside of the military forts in Ancaster and various evidence of this expansion has been found extending along and beyond Ermine Street.

Evidence of an early shrine has been discovered in what is now the graveyard of Ancaster Church. Trollope (1870) provides detailed information about an in-situ alter, discovered during grave digging, which had a sculpture of the ‘Deae Matres’ (the mother goddesses) at its head (this sculpture is now in The Collection at Lincoln); a replica sits on the church wall overlooking modern day Ermine Street. Frere (1961) provides detailed analysis of two Roman carvings found embedded in a 12th century buttress of the church, stating that the works are made of local stone and perhaps represent a local stone carving tradition in the Roman town.

Malcolm Todd (1991) suggests that the fortifications at Castle Close were built between 250 AD and 280 AD based on dating evidence provided by five coins found between the floors of a building built over the original rampart. He suggests that the work appears to have been dictated from a non-local source as it involved the destruction of existing earlier Roman settlement in the area.

During the 4th century, the fortifications at Castle Close were modified by the addition of peculiar fan shaped towers, the only other example of towers of this type being found in the Danube Lands. Archaeologists have suggested that such a site could have been garrisoned by foederati (Germanic mercenaries) and this idea could be supported by the form of the towers found at Ancaster.

Currently, Anglo Saxon evidence for Ancaster exists in the form of the cemetery situated to the south of the village, and to occasional other finds made during the course of building work in the village.

Although no mention is made of Ancaster in the Doomsday Book, medieval Ancaster can occasionally be glimpsed in the historical record. The church is known to contain 12th century architecture and medieval pottery has been discovered in Kiln Field to the north of the modern village. Medieval buildings have also been discovered just outside the area fortified during the later Roman period, with associated 13th century pottery.

Ancaster does not seem to have been a substantial settlement again, until the post-medieval period; this means that areas like the scheduled Castle Close site have not been over-developed and that potentially significant unexplored features remain.

Geology

The British Geological Survey 1:50,000 mapping records the sedimentary bedrock of the site (in the immediate vicinity of Ermine Street) as being Grantham Formation made up of sandstone, siltstone and mudstone, overlaid with superficial deposits of Belton Sand and Gravel. Ancaster itself sits in the ‘Ancaster Gap’, an area of low ground which runs between the higher limestone heaths, thus, forming a natural point of access in the landscape.