1

The Countryside

Villas and Farms

2

Villas and villages: What are they?

Villa• A rural house owned by someone with high social

standing– Villa urbana – luxury– Villa rustica - productive farm

• A house built in the Roman style

Village and native farm• Settlement with two or more farms

3

Where are they?

4

Reconstruction-Typical Farm Settlement

5

Vegetables, Fruits, Nuts

• Celtic bean• Vetch• Fat hen• Nettles• Puffballs• Hazelnut• Raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, elderberries,

strawberries, crab apples

• Parsnips, radishes, beets, turnips• Endive, lettuce• Broad beans• Carrots• Chestnut, walnut• Apples, plums, cherries, mulberries,

6

Introductions by Period

Rural

Urban

7

Cattle Elms Farm, Essex Sheep/Goats

8

Economy and Agriculture

• Market production• Consumers: military (~5%), city dwellers

(~10%), craftsmen

9

Roundhouse

10

Evolution of a Round House

• Early 1st C. Round house

• Late 1st C. Rectangular house

• c. 170 Abandoned• 4th century More

complex house

7.5 m

11

Meonstoke Wall Remnant

Early 4th century AD

Meonstoke, Hampshire,

12

Facade Meonstoke

13

Drawings and Tools

Lighthouse House

Villa Wall Painting

Trier

norma

groma

14

Characteristics of a Roman Villa

• Rectilinear• Stone footings and walls• Tile or slate roofs• Glass

15

Brixworth Farmstead - Villa

16

Villas

Amenities• Dining• Bathing• Receiving

17

Dining

18

Later Fashion

19

The Bath Complex

Additional amenities•Entrance hall •Dressing room •Exercise room

20

Expansion of Villa Construction

• First Century –few stone villas, timber rectangular houses

• Late 3rd-early 4th century– Immigration of wealthy?– Growing income disparity?

21

Decoration

• Dorchester– Hinton St. Mary, Frampton

• Water Newton• Brough on Humber

– Crude draftsmanship: Rudston Venus

– Aldborough Wolf and Twins.

• Colchester• Verulamium• Cirencester: two schools

– Chedsworth

• Wall painting – particularly faux marble• Mosaic floors: schools

22

Venus

Thruxton Villa[Q]VINTVS NATALIVS NATALINVS Owner?

24

Signature of the MosaicistFishbourne

25

Lullingstone

Farm

26

Lullingstone-Phase 1

100-150 CE

Veranda

Veranda

Reception Room

27

Lullingstone-Phase 1

28

Owner?

29

Lullington-Phase 2

150-200 CE

Baths

30

Lullingstone-Phase 2

31

Baths

Hot dry room

Cold Room

Tepid Room

Hot Room

Furnace

Water Tank

Recreation room

32

Lullington-Phase 3

275-350 CE

33

Lullington-Phase 4

c. 360 CE

Dining Room

34

Lullington-Phase 4

c. 360 CE

35

Mosaic-Triclinium Apse

36

InscriptionINVIDA SI TAVRI VIDISSET IVNO NATATUS

IVSTIVS AEOLIAS ISSET ADVSQUE DOMOS

If jealous Juno had seen the swimming of the bullshe would with greater justice on her side have

repaired to the halls of Aeolus

37

Triclinium-Bellerophon

38

Triclinium

39

Bellerophon-Croughton

40

Mausoleum

41

Classical Tales - Low Ham

Dido and Aeneas

42

Low Ham

Aeneas and his ships

43

Four Seasons - Bignor

44

Four Seasons – Winter - Bignor

Terentius?

45

Woodchester Plan

46

Woodchester

47

Woo

dche

ster

48

Woo

dche

ster

49

Woodchester- Details

50

Woodchester- Details

51

Painted Walls - Bignor

Big

no

r

52

Fates of the Villas

Few date after 350• Burnt• Abandoned• Deliberate destruction• No reuse• Rediscovery