More information : (ST 7442 4699) ROMAN VILLA (R) (site of) (1)
Villa plainly visible on south side of field boundary, with vague indications of extension of the east side into the field to the north. (2)
Spring basin of limestone excavated in 1960. 18th century pottery etc recovered. (3-4)
There are no surface indications of the villa, the site of which is under pasture. Small fragments of mosaic are to be found in a miscellaneous collection of local material at Nunney School. They were donated by Messrs J K Seldon and G L F Garthwaite, two student teachers from Newton Park College, who carried out a small excavation in 1962. It is believed that the Cambridge University excavation removed the bulk of the remains. (5)
Roman villa at Whatley Combe (ST 745 470); partially excavated in 1958 prior to ploughing over a range of rooms lying south of the field boundary dividing the site. Surface indications suggested that the Roman buildings were ranged on at least three sides of a square with the rooms excavated in 1958 central on the southern side. A trial trench in the field to the north proved the existence of a building along the western side, but the supposed eastern range was not examined. The rooms on the south side had been previously excavated in the 19th century, including a triclinium at the west end where a mosaic pavement was discovered and protected by a stone building erected on the Roman foundations. Unfortunately this building was allowed to fall into ruin, and the mosaic has been largely destroyed. A bath suite at the east end of the range, also discovered in the 19th century, is uniquely represented by a stone model in the Museum of the Literary and Philosophical Society at Frome. The 1958 excavations showed that the villa was built circa AD 300, partially destroyed circa AD 350, but occupied until at least AD 370. Coins discovered ranged from Carausius to Valentinian; other finds included two bronze spoons and a dolphin brooch. Pottery did not warrant publication. Shortly after the excavation a semi-circular masonry structure, with every appearance of Roman work, was discovered round a spring 500 feet SE of the villa. (6-7)
SO 45 Listed as the site of a Roman corridor villa. (8)
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