Great Witcombe Roman Villa

The Villa Rustica in Great Witcombe is a former Roman villa ( villa rustica) in the district of Great Witcombe, in the county of Gloucestershire, in South West England. In ancient times it was in the Roman province of Britannia ( Britain, since the fourth century Britannia prima ). The villa is located close to Gloucester, the ancient Glevum.

The villa was in 1818 discovered and excavated the same year by Samuel Lysons and Sir William Hicks. Further studies there were 1938 to 1939 and in the years 1960 to 1973 by the archaeologist Ernest Greenfield. Investigations in the years 1999-2000 localized other buildings in the vicinity, but they were not excavated.

The large villa has an approximately H- shaped plan and is built into a hillside. The spaces obtained today are characterized at different levels. There were several phases can be distinguished, dating from the first to the fourth century AD.

In the center of the complex there is a kind of gallery with an octagonal room on the northwest side, which is perhaps these were a summer dining room. In the southwestern wing of the remains are two bathrooms that are equipped with well-preserved mosaics and can still be seen today. Two mosaics decorated with geometric patterns and dated to the second century. A third mosaic shows fish and marine animals in black and white. It is a popular motif for bath rooms. It also dates from the second century. In the nineteenth century, some walls were still standing to a considerable height, and often wore still extensive remains of wall paintings which today are only partly preserved. Walls were often painted with fields decorations.

The villa was rich in small finds. Among the bronze statuette of a flora, well-preserved spoon and windows were from Roman glass. The coins date from the first century to the end of the fourth century.