Five Lanes Roman Site

Villa

Five Lanes Roman Site is a Romano-British villa complex, dating to the period between AD 43 and 410. The site is situated on a southeast-facing slope, north of the presumed line of the Roman road, and overlooks the Roman city of Caerwent (Venta Silurum), which is located approximately 2.5 km to the east. The remains on the ground were recorded in the early nineteenth century, but are no longer visible. However, negative cropmarks on aerial photographs taken in 1995 and 1996 provide evidence of the site’s layout.

There are three distinct areas identified in the aerial photographs. Item A is a winged corridor villa with a complex plan. It appears to have multiple rooms and is constructed using stone foundations. Item B, located southeast of Item A, is a smaller masonry building with at least two rooms. Finally, Item C is located 450m to the north-northeast and comprises a long rectangular building with at least four rooms. It is surrounded by field boundaries, including two concentric and widely spaced ditches that form an enclosure around the building.

The aerial photographs suggest that the villa complex was well-organized and included multiple buildings with different functions, surrounded by field systems for agricultural activities. The complex likely had a variety of purposes, such as residential, agricultural, and possibly even industrial or commercial functions. The complex’s location near the Roman city of Caerwent may indicate its role as an estate or farm associated with the city’s economic activities during the Romano-British period.

Sites near Five Lanes Roman Site