| Summary : Site of a Roman winged-corridor villa and associated buildings and enclosures, now visible as cropmarks but partially excavated in 1890 by EH Goddard. Finds included parts of a red and white tessellated pavement, painted wall plaster, bricks, flue tiles, oyster shells, coins and pottery. Some burnt foundations, possibly belonging to a hypocaust are also mentioned, as is what may be part of a road leading to the villa. Finds are in Devizes Museum. |
More information : SU 18059584 Remains of a Roman Villa, NE of Hannington Wick, in a field known as Chessellpeece, consist of parts of a red and white tessellated pavement, painted wall plaster, bricks, flue tiles, oyster shells, 2 pieces of Samian ware, one sherd with traces of green glaze and a coin of possible Constantine period (1). Excavated by E H Goddard in 1890 who also uncovered two almost square concrete floors, both 2 feet thick, one 11 feet by 12 feet and the other about 9 feet square. Some burnt foundations, possibly belonging to a hypocaust, together with traces of stone pitching, possibly part of a road leading to the house, were also discovered. The site, badly robbed for road mending and frequently ploughed, was covered by about 6 inches of soil (2). Relics in Devizes Museum (3). (1-3)
Stone and tile fragments, tesserae and coarse pottery, floor tiles, wall plaster and fine mosaic cubes of the C2 to C4 have been found at Mannington Villa. (4-5)
Roman villa complex mapped from good quality air photographs.
The following features were identified:-
Roman winged corridor building, seen as cropmarks. Morphological description: a polygonal enclosure, 47m by 22m, defined by 1 stone foundation on 8 sides. Centred at:-SU 1803 9585 (Morph No. TG.116.9.1)
Possible Roman building, seen as cropmarks. Morphological description: a rectangular enclosure, 16m by 8m, defined by 1 stone foundation.
Centred at:-SU 1812 9584 (Morph No. TG.116.9.2)
Possible Roman enclosure, seen as cropmarks. Morphological description: a rectangular enclosure, 22m by 14m, defined by 1 ditch.
Centred at:-SU 1808 9585 (Morph No. TG.116.9.3)
Possible Roman ditches, seen as cropmarks. Morphological description: linear features in a disordered pattern, each defined by 1 ditch with a maximum length of 30m.
Centred at:-SU 1805 9582
Additional NGR's: SU 1809 9581 SU 1807 9589 (Morph No. TG.116.9.4)
This description is based on data from the RCHME MORPH2 database. (6)
WZ 94 Site of a Roman villa. (7)
Following English Heritage aerial reconnaissance in 2006 the cropmark traces of Roman villa described by the above authority have been re-photographed and further details observed. This has enabled a reinterpretation of the site to be undertaken.
These features were mapped from aerial photographs as part of the English Heritage: Aerial Reconnaissance (South) 2006-7 programme. Discrepancies between recently mapped features and those mapped during the course of the Thames Valley NMP project are due to advances in rectification technology unavailable at the time of the earlier project. (8)
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