| Summary : Roman villa discovered on Nuthills Farm in 1924 when building debris obstructed ploughing. The site was partially excavated 1924-6 when one room with remains of painted wall-plaster, rough sandstone flooring and the probable base of a fountain were uncovered. Fragments of flue and roofing tiles were also found. Other finds included pottery, animal bones, a brooch, and coins. During field investigation in 1968, a thin scatter of Romano-British potsherds was noted on the surface of the ploughed field. Aerial photographs taken in 2013 revealed the cropmark traces of part of the plan of the villa buildings located with an earlier curvilinear ditched enclosure, surrounded by the traces of a field system. |
More information : (ST 96936832). Roman Villa (GS) (site of). (1)
A Roman building (sited on sketch-plan) was found on Nuthills
farm, in 1924, when building debris obstructed ploughing. The
site was partially excavated from 1924 - 1926 by the Marquess of
Lansdowne and B.H. Cunnington. One room with remains of painted
wall-plaster, rough sandstone flooring and the probable base of
a fountain were uncovered. Fragments of roofing and flue tiles
were found. Grinsell suggests that the site was probably that of
a winged corridor villa. Patches of debris and bindweed elsewhere
in the field indicate further buildings. Finds included probably
1st c. and 3rd c and later potsherds, coal, animal bones, a
brooch of A.D.150-200 and coins ranging from A.D. 264-353. From
the vicinity of the villa come 36 Roman coins, all chance finds,
comprising coins of 1st-4th c. All in private possession (6).
(Though listed by the V.C.H. authorities they were not mentioned
in the subsequent published volume). The area was under grass
but likely to be ploughed in 1956 (7). (2-7)
The published site agrees with both the sketch plan and the site
indicated on Devizes Museum 6". In the ploughed field nothing is
visible except a thin scatter of R.B. sherds. (8,9)
Aerial photographs taken in 2013 revealed the cropmark traces of perpendicular ditches and a possible wall traces which are probably part of the villa building identified through earier excavations and finds. These ditches may be robbed wall trenches, though there are indications of traces of surviving wall foundations on the northern side of the building. The remains were centred at ST 9693 6837, located with an earlier curvilinear ditched enclosure which is itself surrounded by the traces of a field system which appears to post-date the curvilinear enclosure, but it is not clear how the villa and field system relate to one another. The enclosures and field system are recorded separately (Monument Numbers: 1578116 and 1578124). (11)
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