Alresford Roman Villa

Villa

A Roman winged-corridor villa was found in a field adjacent to Alresford Lodge, discovered in 1884 and excavated 1885 by H. Laver. The walls had been robbed down to the foundations and the villa was probably more extensive originally. Mosaic pavements, plain red pavements and a hypocaust were in evidence.

Coins from Faustona and Commodus (161-192 AD) as well as Samian-ware pottery shards are now preserved in Colchester Castle Museum. Plate glass was also found. Also an iron spearhead and axe which Laver thought to be Saxon but VCH dates the axe to 4th century. Many cinerary urns were found in the NE corner of the field indicating a probable cremation cemetery. During the 1920s, ploughing in this field uncovered a large marble basin. Roman bricks can be seen in the ruins of St Peter’s and were also found in the foundations of Stable Cottage, Alresford Hall. At Marsh Farm pit five sherds of Late pre-Roman Iron Age/early Romano-British pottery and four struck flint flakes were recovered.

Other sites near

A double-ditched Romano-British enclosure (60x80m) was found with second century samian pottery shards between the Quarters and Plumptons Farm. There were also several ring-ditches containing graves in land quarried at Broomfield Plantation overlooking Alresford Creek. A Saxon ironhead and 4th century axe were found in the area of the Roman Villa excavation.

 

 

Sites near Alresford Roman Villa