Spoonley Wood Roman Villa

The Villa Rustica at Spoonley Wood is a former Roman villa ( villa rustica) in the small forest Spoonley Wood, Sudeley in Winchcombe, in the county of Gloucestershire, in South West England.

The villa is situated at the foot of a hill in a valley with two rivers and about 15 kilometers north of Dobunnorum Corinium ( Cirencester ), the second largest ancient city in the Roman province of Britannia ( Britain). In the fourth century it was the capital of the newly established province of Britannia fine.

The remains of Roman buildings were known before 1877. 1882 during construction work, a mosaic was found, after which the villa of Professor John Henry Middleton and Rev. William Bazeley was systematically excavated.

The villa consisted of three wings that are arranged around a large courtyard. On all three sides of the wings have a portico to the back yard. The northern wing had little rooms that were somehow decorated, and may have served as accommodation for the slaves and servants. The central building in the East had a central room with an annex on the east side, on practically the whole plant was oriented. Many rooms were equipped with mosaics, which, however, were often no longer obtain. In the south wing there were several heated rooms and a bathroom. Only three mosaics were found in the excavations in better condition. They are lost or filled today, only one there is a copy, which can be seen today on the spot, however, is usually buried with a layer of earth. It is unclear how accurate is this copy. To the west, just outside the plant, stood a single building, which probably served economic purposes. Among the findings in the villa include coins from the third and fourth centuries, a marble statue of Bacchus and a silver-plated tray.