Roman 3

Apart from the first century brooch near the Wangwell Brook, several others were
found by the metal detector, these were
knee brooches.

In Bullhouse Lane, a barn wall contains a vouissoir - a tile used in making vaults over bath houses.

The most significant relic from the past is the Ladywell estate, which
has the traditional form of a Roman fort, surrounded by defensive ditch.
(A gaming counter was found in one of the gardens).

The north and west side of the estate present at least a six foot elevation to the
surrounding fields.

In the north-west corner there is a well called the Ladywell. This could be
a Christian corruption of Laeden well, Laeden in Anglo-Saxon means Roman.

The name Albury means in Anglo-Saxon Old Castle or fort. Behind the church
is Court House, here in the garden Roman remains have been found, confirmed
by Vince Russett, the County Archaeologist. Over the spring Ladywell lies a
stone, the surface of which is rough but closer examination reveals that it
was carved a long time ago and was subsequently defaced, a common practice
by devout early Christians.

This may well have been a Mithraic Altar stone.

If Ladywell estate was military fort, it is not difficult to imagine that the army worshipped Apollo and Mithras and in that case All Saints Church was built over a Mithraic temple which is not unusual. Under St. Clemente Church in Rome there
is a well preserved Mithraic temple.

All archaeologists agree to some extent that ancient Christian foundation s have
been erected in and around Roman forts and settlements. After all there was
a period of 100 years of established Christianity under Roman rule and in
the post-Roman period. Mithraism and Christianity co-existed for a long time
and as the tenets and beliefs were similar in both, Christians did everything in their power to discredit the Mithraists.

As the altar stone represented a bull being slain by Mithras, I am sure they used the nickname bullhouse for their temple, hence Bullhouse Lane.