The chance discovery of a mosaic 18 inches below the surface led to the discovery of one of the largest Roman Villas ever found in the UK, similar in size to the great Roman villa at Chedworth.
The villa, which had around 20 to 25 rooms on the ground floor alone, was built between 175 AD and 220 AD, and repeatedly remodelled right up until the mid 4th century.
Simon Sebag Montefiore, one of Britain’s leading historians said: “This remarkable Roman villa, with its baths and mosaics uncovered by chance, is a large, important and very exciting discovery that reveals so much about the luxurious lifestyle of a rich Romano British family at the height of the empire.
“It is an amazing thought that so much has survived almost two millennia.”
“This site has not been touched since its collapse 1400 years ago and, as such, is of enormous importance. Without question, this is a hugely valuable site in terms of research, with incredible potential.
“The discovery of such an elaborate and extraordinarily well preserved villa, undamaged by agriculture for over 1500 years, is unparalleled in recent years. Overall, the excellent preservation, large scale and complexity of this site present a unique opportunity to understand Roman and post-Roman Britain.”