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The long gallery connects to a large octagonal room in the middle which was constructed in the 4th century. It is not clear what the exact function of this unusual shaped room was, although it is generally considered to be a reception room. A religious function has also been suggested, but it is more
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The shrine room was situated in the north-west wing of the villa. Its only access point seems to have been the staircase leading from rooms on a higher terrace. During the early excavations, the walls of this room were found covered with a coat of stucco painted in panels of different colours. Niches
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To cope with the difficult terrain, the building itself was constructed on four terraces, cut into the hillside and heavily buttressed, which are still evident on the gallery connecting the two main wings of the house. The architectural design of the villa differs greatly from similar dwellings from
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Although a first-century CE date for the Roman villa at Great
Witcombe has been suggested, twenty-first century work has suggested that it was first developed between 150 and 200; the villa was enlarged in the late third century or the fourth; additions and alterations were still taking place in the
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When the site was first excavated in the 19th century it was reported that parts of the villa were very well preserved. Walls of 6 ft high were documented, some still plastered. The bath house was one of the most complete examples known at the time and several mosaic floors were recorded. Poor
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The latrine is located near the dressing room of the baths. The main drain on the north side was formed of stone and is still evident today. The fittings were removed in the late 4th century, but debris nearby suggests they were originally made of sandstone. The walls were plastered and coloured
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The villa itself is sited in an unusual location – the unevenness of the terrain, which was riddled with small streams and natural springs, would seem to render it unsuitable for such a large dwelling. It is thought, however, that these springs would have been harnessed into water features in
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The site currently consists of the remains of low walls which give a good idea of the general shape of the building. Two parts of the bath house are protected by small sheds, not accessible to the public. Besides its unusual shape, the villa has a few features worth noting, including a
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and temple were located. This layout reflects the evolution of the house over time—the bath house wing was a later expansion—and a consideration of the spatial restrictions of the site.
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white with red stripes and patches of pink. The latrine was accessible via a passageway which contained a mosaic floor. Parts of the plaster fragments of one of the walls still remain.
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in the north wall that probably accommodated statues and a possible altar base have led the archaeologists, led by Neil
Holbrook to suggest that the room had a religious function.
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the same period, given that the main living quarters were in the large eastern wing, and a long gallery of little function connected this wing with the ‘leisure wing’ where the
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The villa contained at least one substantial bath house, in the north-western wing. This included the latrine, which formed an L-shape around a dressing room (
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Great
Witcombe Roman Villa, Gloucestershire: Field Surveys of its Fabric and Environs, 1999–2000
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various changes occurred which may have included the narrowing of the furnace opening.
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late fourth century; and the villa was probably occupied into the early fifth century.
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likely that the room simply formed part of an imposing entrance for the building.
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Todd, M (2005). "Baths or
Baptistries? Holcombe, Lufton and their Analogues",
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conservation techniques and heavy rain have destroyed most of these features.
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built during the Roman occupation of
Britain. It is located on a hillside at
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Ellis, SP (1995). "Classical
Reception Rooms in Romano-British Houses",
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Transactions of the
Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society
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Transactions of the
Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society
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Clifford, E.M. (1954). "The Roman Villa, Witcombe, Gloucestershire",
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may have been cultivated around this, although this is supposition.
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280:). The dressing room led to the cold room (
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1297:English Heritage sites in Gloucestershire
289:The apodyterium was also connected via a
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1307:Tourist attractions in Gloucestershire
241:and an octagonal room of unknown use.
382:"Great Witcombe Romano-British villa"
196:stylised gardens, and that a cult of
35:The remains of the villa (March 2007)
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329:can be found, a common addition to
386:National Heritage List for England
325:In the middle of the room a small
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360:"Places: 79492 (Great Witcombe)"
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844:List of Roman villas in England
458:de la Bedoyere 2002, p. 57
449:, 121 (2003), 179–200 (p. 183).
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61:Location within Gloucestershire
179:. It has been scheduled as an
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888:Roman visitor sites in the UK
848:List of Roman villas in Wales
571:Oxford Journal of Archaeology
557:Architecture in Roman Britain
297:. The remains of under-floor
1210:National Roman Legion Museum
408:"Great Witcombe Roman Villa"
555:De la Bedoyere, G. (2002).
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1261:Chester Roman Amphitheatre
1225:Trimontium Trust (Melrose)
1185:Carvoran Roman Army Museum
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161:Great Witcombe Roman Villa
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175:in the English county of
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1195:Colchester Castle Museum
527:Ellis, 1995, p. 176
467:Clifford 1954, p. 9
1180:Canterbury Roman Museum
1078:Over Burrow (Lancaster)
626:Villas in Roman Britain
536:Todd, 2005, p. 308
502:Holbrook, Neil (2003).
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1129:Aldborough Roman Site
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1251:Benwell Roman temple
1053:Hardknott Roman Fort
998:Ambleside Roman Fort
991:Forts & military
807:Welwyn (Dicket Mead)
483:. Wessex Archaeology
143:Construction started
921:Dover Painted House
253:Part of the latrine
123: /
70:General information
1271:Welwyn Roman Baths
1088:Portchester Castle
985:
586:, English Heritage
414:. Historic England
388:. Historic England
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309:Temple/shrine room
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127:51.8267°N 2.1474°W
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1008:Banks East Turret
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237:, household
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198:water nymphs
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1239:Other sites
1098:Richborough
1058:Housesteads
951:North Leigh
817:Woodchester
772:North Leigh
672:Brantingham
552:, 73: 5-69.
283:frigidarium
277:apodyterium
154:5th century
146:1st century
130: /
105:Coordinates
1291:Categories
1215:Ribchester
1149:Silchester
1139:Colchester
1134:Chichester
1113:Vindolanda
1093:Ribchester
1018:Birdoswald
1013:Binchester
961:Rockbourne
956:Piddington
936:Littlecote
926:Fishbourne
842:See also:
802:Totternhoe
782:Rockbourne
777:Piddington
742:Littlecote
707:Folkestone
702:Fishbourne
682:Carsington
543:References
517:: 179–200.
487:29 October
418:29 October
392:29 October
362:. Pleiades
299:hypocausts
295:tepidarium
231:bath house
206:bath house
187:Background
173:Gloucester
151:Demolished
115:51°49′36″N
1159:St Albans
1144:Corbridge
1103:Segedunum
1063:Lancaster
1038:Derventio
966:Sparsholt
911:Chedworth
822:Winterton
792:Sparsholt
687:Chedworth
677:Bucknowle
564:Britannia
412:Pastscape
118:2°08′51″W
1164:Wroxeter
1048:Eboracum
1033:Chesters
1028:Caerleon
971:Wroxeter
722:Horkstow
642:Bancroft
366:16 March
87:SO899142
75:Location
1173:Museums
946:Newport
916:Crofton
906:Brading
787:Rudston
767:Newport
757:Low Ham
732:Rutland
692:Crofton
667:Brading
662:Boxmoor
647:Beadlam
327:cistern
245:Latrine
235:latrine
212:Remains
171:, near
94:Country
1003:Arbeia
901:Bignor
894:Villas
727:Keston
652:Bignor
637:Aiskew
239:shrine
163:was a
1122:Towns
752:Lopen
507:(PDF)
481:(PDF)
346:Notes
291:slype
165:villa
1068:Lunt
846:and
489:2019
420:2019
394:2019
368:2013
233:and
515:121
445:',
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183:.
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
