Sandy, Bedfordshire

Sandy was a significant Romano-British small town in Central Bedfordshire, situated at the junction of two major Roman roads. Recent excavations uncovered the first Roman town wall found in Bedfordshire, built from local ironstone and mortar, enclosing an area of about 11 hectares. The settlement supported pottery manufacture, iron working, and bronze working, functioning as a centre of trade and redistribution. A large cemetery at Tower Hill contained both cremation and inhumation burials, along with high-status finds including lead coffins, bronze bowls, and a rare oculist's stamp. Evidence of Saxon occupation was also discovered outside the town walls.