Summary

A Roman villa discovered in 1864, dating to the first half of the second century AD. Excavations have revealed the villa to be of a considerable size, having remained in use until well into the fourth century AD.

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Description

Chedworth Roman Villa lies in a small valley a short distance from the River Coln. The site is of national importance because of its exceptional size and opulence. Leading antiquarian researchers concluded that the site was the equivalent of a wealthy Roman gentleman's residence. In the century and a half since the villa was discovered, it has become apparent that he was indeed very wealthy and was well connected across the Roman empire. This is supported by recent finds: a piece of Cipollino marble from an Imperial Greek island has been found; and a piece of coloured glass that appears to have come from Ukraine.

The Villa was discovered in 1864 by a gamekeeper who came cross a few stray finds leading to excavations and the exposure of the villa. Structures were erected soon after to protect parts of the site, and a house was built in the centre of the site to act as a museum and residence for the caretaker. [SNA62018] The National Trust acquired the property in 1924. No further archaeological work was undertaken until 1957 when a series of small-scale excavations were carried out, partly during repair works. Sir Ian Richmond excavated the site every year until 1965, by which time he had uncovered most of the villa. The results of his work were never fully published; however, they informed the guidebook Richmond wrote in 1964 [SNA62018]. His notebooks have been found in the Sackler Library in Oxford. In 1978 Roger Goodburn took over. He excavated the hypocaust system in the kitchen and dining room, and the dining room mosaic in 1983. This made Chedworth the only site in the country with so much exposed. Goodburn continued to investigate the site into the 1990s as opportunities arose through repair and refurbishment works, but much of this was necessarily small-scale and in close proximity to the exposed walls [SNA62018].

The Victorian structures covering some of the West Range rooms, were replaced in 2012 by a new building that enabled the whole range to be permanently displayed.

In 1994, Philip Bethell was appointed as Archaeologist / Assistant Property Manager and over the next 12 years a programme of investigative surveys was carried out. These surveys were designed to create a base record for the site upon which future conservation work could be based [SNA62018].

From the excavations, it has been revealed that the villa was built in the first half of the second century, at which time it included three separate ranges of buildings lying on the north, south and west slopes of the valley with the main house located on the western slope. After some time, additions were made to the villa to give an 'aspect of grandeur' (Goodburn, 1981) including many beautiful mosaics which can still be seen today. In the second century AD the west range and south wing were burnt down and immediately restored with enlarged baths and an extended north wing. The C4th saw the creation of the garden with the addition of verandahs and further rooms. It was also during this time that the Turkish bath was built in the northern part of the west range, and the older suite in the north wing was converted to a sauna. These elaborate alterations continued well into the fourth century, until the villa was abandoned.

Standing detached a few yards away from the northwest corner of the villa lies the Nymphaeum, a small shrine to the water goddess. This structure also served to supply water to the villa. An uninscribed altar was found buried within the apse on the west side.

Bethell (2006), suggests that the combination of evidence is indicative of the villa developing in two broad stages:

1) a late 2nd/early 3rd-century origin, with a house on a north-south axis, which was modified to become the West Range of the expanded villa. The lower garden had some evidence of other structures, and can be interpreted as the farmyard of the villa, (some traces of other walls are visible beneath the North Wing, and the lower South Wing, but it is not clear whether they are dated to this earlier phase);

2) the 4th-century villa, built relatively rapidly to its fullest extent, either incorporating re-modelled older buildings, or removing earlier structures/features altogether. [SNA62018]

Interventions since the mid C20th have improved our understanding of the site in several key ways. Crucially, the original assertion that there was a lack of evidence at the Villa to indicate any activity in the pre- or post- Roman periods [source unknown] has been disputed. This includes evidence for middle Iron Age activity on the site along with medieval plough marks, a C17th lime kiln and the remains of post-medieval livestock management pens. The historic halting of excavations at the C4th levels has been deemed a factor in the possible skewing of our understanding of this important site which recent research objectives have helped to address [SNA62018]. Our understanding of the villa has been improved with respect to the extent of its original/ upstanding Roman components (the majority of walls were concluded to be post 1864 in date by Cotswold Archaeology - forthcoming); the use of space both within the C4th structure and in the garden court area; and the indications of tripartite occupancy or division of space.

Despite numerous interventions in the vicinity of the villa, no evidence has been recovered for additional courtyards (as at other comparable sites). The geophysics was able to find clear traces of features such as the end of the villa complex, and the trackway to the river. Also, a small circular building east of the villa was found near the river, this appeared to be Roman in origin from coins found. Otherwise there were no additional structures built between the house and the river. Where the peripheral buildings, necessary to the functioning of a house on such a scale (stables, storage, slave accommodation, etc.) might have been situated remains a puzzle. Speculation as to the function of the Chedworth villa will therefore continue. Bethell asserts that the layout of the building(s), and the functions of rooms, where identifiable, are all comparable with large multi-courtyard villa complexes rather than any other known type of site from Roman Britain [SNA62018]. About 600m to the east, on the valley slope opposite, there is the small C4th Roman structure known as Yanworth villa. About 800m a little south of east lies the remains of a Roman temple building that was excavated in the 1920’s. Otherwise no other site has been found that may provide definitive support or refutation for the theory that Chedworth villa represents the headquarters of an agricultural estate.

The current and most widely used room numbering system is thought to date from the period of Richmond's excavations in the 1950s and is certainly the C20th convention. However, a measured plan found in the Chedworth Archive, thought to have been held by Cheltenham Public Library and dated to 1894, illustrates the villa with very different room numbers. The provenance of this plan is uncertain and more research is required, it is hand-annotated and may be the earliest measured survey of the site [SNA62093].

The Chedworth mosaics are discussed in SNA62067 - Monograph: Cosh, Stephen R. and Neal, David S. 2010. Roman Mosaics of Britain: Volume IV: Western Britain. The National Trust will soon (2020) publish a monograph that will bring together and reevaluate the archaeological evidence for Chedworth.

SNA69076 Plan B Report Proposed West Range Conservation Shelter, education facilities and improved interpretation at Chedworth Roman Villa.

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