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Bradford on Avon Roman Villa
Parch marks in air photographs and excavations in 1976 revealed a substantial bath house under the playing fields of St Laurence's School. Following the discovery of further parch marks in 1999 a season of limited excavation was undertaken by the Universities of Bristol and Cardiff in 2002. This showed that the site includes a complex villa with mosaic pavements as well as second building which was also thought to be a villa as it had a hypocaust structure in one of the rooms.
The 2003 excavation season reopened the trench extending it into the next room of the villa. A further mosaic was discovered. However this had been overlaid and cut into by a stone structure believed to be an early Christian baptistery.
Aerial view of 2003 excavations showing mosaic pavement and baptistery
The 2004 season of excavation uncovered the bath house found in 1976 and area around it to the south and west. The excavations confirmed this as a high status villa by the use of high quality stone flooring seen in the adjacent photograph.
The continuity of the settlement from the Roman period into the post Roman period was also confirmed by the presence of a 6th -7th century pagan burial on an unusual alignment. The grave included a glass vessel next to the head of the person.
Stone flags used for flooring
The 2004 work represents the final season of excavations at the villa. The work will now concentrate on field surveys around the site. A geophysical survey has also been carried out producing some interesting results which will also need to be followed up.
General view of the 2004 excavations
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