Name: Great Witcombe Roman Villa
Rating: 5.0

Great Witcombe Roman Villa

Brockworth, Gloucester, Gloucestershire GL3, UK

1-99 Years

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Description

Great Witcombe Roman Villa The remains of this large and luxurious Roman villa lie in a peaceful setting near the Cotswold Way. Once at the heart of a large country estate, the villa was built about AD 250, and lived in until the 5th century.

The remains include a bathhouse complex and perhaps the shrine of a water spirit. Mosaic pavements (preserved within a modern building) hint at the villa’s opulence in Roman times. There are beautiful views over the surrounding countryside.

Free Entry. If you are looking for Best place for day out with kids and families then this is the perfect destination offering fun, adventure, and unforgettable memories for everyone.

Features

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Host birthday parties: No

Features

History of Great Witcombe Roman Villa: Great Witcombe Roman Villa was one of the largest Roman houses in Britain, and was part of a cluster of very wealthy villas in the Cotswolds area. A rich family lived here, together with their slaves and freedmen, for around 200 years, until the end of the Roman period in Britain. Their luxurious villa, discovered in 1818 by farm workers, included an exceptional mosaic depicting many sea creatures.
The villa’s development: Great Witcombe was built sometime between the mid-2nd and mid-3rd centuries AD.[1] There may have been an earlier, smaller villa down the slope, where a field survey has identified a rectangular building. This may be the building uncovered by excavations in 1819, which reportedly had abundant wall plaster, but was thought to have been destroyed by the excavation.
Dating the villa: There is controversy over exactly when this villa was built. Usually it is fairly easy to date Roman buildings by stratigraphy (the layers in the soil), but when this villa was excavated the stratigraphy was not recorded. Looking at the dates of the finds, Peter Leach, the archaeologist who published a report on the site excavations in 1998, concluded that the villa was probably built in the early 3rd century AD.[4] However, mosaic experts have dated the mosaics stylistically to the late 2nd century AD, in which case the villa must have been built by then.
Life at Great Witcombe: The wealthy owners of Great Witcombe may have been involved in politics and administration at the nearby Roman town of Glevum (now Gloucester). This was a common occupation for the rich and powerful of Roman Britain.
The Mosaics: There were at least three mosaics at Great Witcombe, all in the lower bath-house. Two were relatively simple geometric designs, of which only fragments survive. The most impressive mosaic, however, is the marine mosaic from the frigidarium (cold room) of the baths.
Religion at the villa: The Romano-Britons thought the world was full of gods. At Great Witcombe there is a mysterious room which would have been partially underground, and may have been used for ritual activities. Its walls were elaborately decorated. Niches in the walls probably held votive statues, to which offerings would have been made. There was a water cistern in the centre which would have been about 30cm deep and was continuously fed by water from natural springs.
Forgery: In 1966 Ernest Greenfield discovered this piece of carved stone with a fish on it – an early symbol of Christianity. He did not find it in the excavation but on the turf nearby. Could it have been dug up by Lysons and the fish missed all those years?
The end of the villa: Around AD 380, life in the villa changed dramatically. We know this because there are evident changes in building use, including the destruction of some walls so that the stone could be used elsewhere.

Facilities

Parking: Car parking (no charge) for approximately ten vehicles. A 300 metre walk uphill to the site. There is no access for coaches or minibuses. No parking is permitted in the lane next to or beyond the car park.

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Price

Price: Paid

Price Details

Free Entry.

Pricing URL: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/great-witcombe-roman-villa/opening-times/

Birthday Parties

Offer Birthday Parties: No

Great Witcombe Roman Villa and car park are closed until further notice.

Address: Brockworth, Gloucester, Gloucestershire GL3, UK

Post Code: GL3 4TW

Council: Tewkesbury

County: Gloucestershire

Road Access: Located 5 miles SE of Gloucester off A46; 1⁄2 mile S of reservoir in Witcombe Park; 400 metres (440 yards) from Cotswold Way National Trail.
Bus Access: Stagecoach service 46 to Green Street then 1 mile walk, or Stagecoach 10 to Brockworth and 2 mile walk. Also infrequent Swanbrook service 852 serves Witcombe.
Train Access: Gloucester 6 miles.
Bicycle Access: Find this site on The National Cycle Network.
Parking: Car parking (no charge) for approximately ten vehicles. A 300 metre walk uphill to the site. There is no access for coaches or minibuses. No parking is permitted in the lane next to or beyond the car park.