More information : SE 6623 7569. Roman Villa (R) (Site of) (NAT). (1)
Roman villa discovered in the grounds of Hovingham Hall in 1745, described by Drake, with drawings by Mitley and engravings (copy in the Hospitium, Yorks Museum) by Vertue in 1747. The site is now levelled and covered but the drawings show a range of three or four small rooms making up the remains of the hot baths some 53 ft long, with the portion that Drake calls the 'Fireplace' being very broken and indefinite. Parallel to this portion were the double flues leading into a small apse circa 7ft radius which in turn leads into the side of the main range. Adjoining the apse but not connecting with it was another room, much fragmented, with cross walls that appear to be a reconstruction. The main range excluding the apse was circa 15 ft wide and all the rooms had hypocaust pillars. The remaining building the 'bath' as described by Drake was reached across 12 ft of 'rubble' (courtyard?) and was carefully lined with cement (plungebath/latrine?), also 13 ft of its drain was found. 221 ft west of the bath a tesselated pavement 15 ft 10 ins by 8 ft within walls 18 ins thick was discovered. Roman coins have been found near the bath and in the surrounding fields, some of these (2nd to 4th century) together wih a Corinthian Drachma (338-300 BC), a Northumbrian Styca and a fragment of the tesselated pavement are in Hovingham Hall. (2-3) No trace in an area of pastureland is now visible. (4)
The site was covered after the construction of the canal, lake and gardens and then levelled and planted. The mosaic had two panels. One contained a greek key pattern and the other an interlace or plait. The borders were plain and decorated with a van dyked pattern. The finds are at Hovingham Hall. (5-5j)
The villa described by previous authorities was not visible on available air photographs. (6)
Additonal reference. (7) |