It is has been difficult to distinguish the various phases of building, in part due to the Victorians making it a tourist attraction. It is also unknown who lived there but Cirencester was the second city in the country and there are several large villas within striking distance of the town. The surviving mosaics in the triclinium are considered to be of equal standard to those in found in Rome or Pompeii. They are also likely to have had beautiful frescoes painted on the walls. This was the room where the Romans liked to to dine in style.
When a geophysical survey was carried out on the farm land just beyond the villa, it was discovered that the north and south range extended by a further 20 metres beyond the present villa. There is a lot still to be discovered and some more excavation will be done this summer.
About ten FHS members took part in a follow-up visit to Chedworth Roman Villa on May 9th. Nick Humphris acted as our personal guide on an inclement afternoon. It was very interesting to see new range of buildings, and wonderful to see mosaics that had not been exposed for hundreds of years. We are all looking forward to a return visit in August to see the archaeological excavation.