More information : (Area centred SZ 47149540). Roman Villa, finds in Southampton and Carisbrooke museums. (1)
A row of three small rooms, all that remained of a Roman building at the end of Rew street, was excavated in 1864 by EJ. Smith. The remainder of the building had been destroyed by the sea, which at this point was wearing away as much as 20 yards of cliff per year. The rooms were aligned E-W., and measured about 40 ft. by 10 ft. overall. The western and central rooms had plain tesselated floors; the eastern room, in which were discovered a raised fire-place, a bill-hook, knife handle, some coarse pottery, oyster and limpet shells and bones, was probably a kitchen. Hexagonal roofing stones, pottery, including Samian and New Forest wares, coins dating from Augustus and Vespasian to the 4th century, and a broken bronze statuette of Mercury were obtained from the site. Eighteen lead discs, thought to be Roman at the time of discovery but now regarded as 17th cent. lead counters, and some medieval and later English coins, were also found. In the years preceding the discovery of the building by Mr.Smith, who noticed the floor of the western room in the face of the cliff, Roman coins, roofing stone and a 1st cent. samian sherd had been found on the beach below. When the site was visited by E. Kell in 1866, the building had completely disappeared. (2-5)
(SZ 47089542). Conjectural site of Roman building. (6)
No remains could be found during field investigation, but the most likely site appears to be at SZ 46999535, where there is a gentle east facing slope with a nearby source of fresh water. The cliff at this point is about 15ft. high, as it was where Smith found the floor of the building; it is higher to the west and lower to the east. The site is not likely to be far out to sea, as there has been no erosion at this point, at least since the OS. revision of 1907. (7)
There is no ground evidence of foundations in the area, although the OS. map of 1862 shows the coastline not far removed from its present position. G. Flux of Jamesbridge, Rew Street, has a Roman tile in his possession which he found at SZ 47079536. (8)
Additional bibliography. (9-11)
History of E J Smith's work. (12)
IW 9 Listed as the site of a Roman villa. (13)
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