Chedworth Roman Villa

[poliphilo]

Chedworth Roman Villa (near Cirencester) was discovered in 1864- and one of the charms of the site- with its mock-Tudor custodian's house and  museum-  is that it has been preserved very much as its finders left it.  It is as much a monument to Victorian archaeology- on the cusp between gentlemanly antiquarianism and modern science-  as it is to the Roman past.  

It was raining heavily when we were there. Ailz chose to stay in the car, but I borrowed an umbrella from visitors' centre and sloshed my way round.



The Museum



The Nymphaeum



One of several mosaics (from the school of Corinium)



A huntsman god.

Comments

[veronica-milvus.livejournal.com]

I was there a few weeks ago and also posted some piccies. The blasted Victorians managed to build their little Ye Olde Mocke Tudor building right in the middle of the main approach to the villa from down the valley!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

You have a point, but I rather liked the Mock Tudor building. It's not as if there's much else to look at above ground level.

[daisytells.livejournal.com]

How wonderful that you live in a part of the world where there are such artifacts that recall ancient times! These pictures are remarkable, as is the contrast between the Victorian house and the Old Roman villa.
I so enjoy the photos you take on your travels around Britain!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

Not everyone (see above) enjoys the Victorian cottage, but I think it's rather sweet.

[sovay]

It is as much a monument to Victorian archaeology- on the cusp between gentlemanly antiquarianism and modern science- as it is to the Roman past.

Now that it's full of pondweed, the nymphaeum looks as though it might be inhabited.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I believe it is. The site is also run as a nature reserve.

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

I like the mock Tudor Victorian cottage!
It's also lovely that they have left artifacts in a museum on site. At Italica, except for mosaic floors, they've moved all teh good sculptures and other things to the Achaeological Museum a good 15 km away in Seville.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Chedworth belongs to the National Trust- which took it over from the original owners in the 1920s. I guess there was never any opportunity for a Museum- local or national- to swoop in and run off with the artefacts.

[oakmouse]

Thank you for this whole series of picture posts. Lovely stuff!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I'm pleased you enjoyed them.

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

Ah, the joys of gentlemanly antiquarianism!

Love the mosaics. I keep living in hope that I can track down the Roman villa which has a locally made mosaic of a really goofy wolf. We're talking about something which looks like it's been done by a four-year, old, but it has a certain charm...

It might be Lullingstone...

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I know the one you mean. I used to have a postcard. It was found at Aldborough (Isurium) and is now in the Leeds City Museum.

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

So there is something to see in Leeds!!!

Spent five hours in the railway station there once and nearly lost the will to live...

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Leeds has a lot of Roman stuff- mostly from Aldborough I think.

[jourdannex.livejournal.com]

I think it's gorgeous and charming..the third pic, is that a bath or a pond that is empty? And these pictures...are they from other houses on the grounds or is this inside the tudor?!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

The pond is a "holy well"- sacred to the local water spirits. It would originally have had some sort of a shrine built around it.

The mosaic is in situ and has had a shed built over it for protection. I had my back to it (roughly speaking) when I took the picture of the "Tudor" museum.

The carving is one of the museum's exhibits.

[baritonejeff.livejournal.com]

What a wonderful series today! I truly love your posts along this line. Thank you Tony!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I'm so pleased you like them.

[trixibelle-net.livejournal.com]

Amazing stuff! I shall have to make a visit there when I eventually come home.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

It's worth a visit. They're still working on the site- and still turning up new stuff. There's a whole wing of the villa the Victorians ignored.

[amritarosa.livejournal.com]

Beautiful, thanks for sharing! I would like to have a nymphaeum in our backyard :)

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

A nymphaeum in the back yard? Yes, me too!