Hidden History
In the distance under that flat area of grass in front of the white Martello fort, there lies not only the remains of two Roman villas but also one of the most significant late Iron Age sites in southern England, said to be of national and possibly of international importance.
The archaeologists have been surprised by the abundance and variety of recent finds. Flint implements recovered suggest intermittent occupation on the site going back to around 5000 BC. A fine Neolithic arrow head of c. 3000 BC was discovered recently. The quantity and quality of pre-Roman finds recovered from a recent archaeological dig has been reported as remarkable.
The site is very close to the cliff edge and much has been lost due to erosion since the first excavation in 1924. It was coastal erosion that first exposed the villa in the 1920s when archaeologist SE Winbolt discovered the site while on holiday in the area. He noticed fragments of tile and a stone drain protruding after a cliff fall and soon other items such as Roman pottery were found. The site was open to the public for a while but it deteriorated badly during the Second World War when it was occupied by troops defending the cliffs.The site was backfilled in 1957 to protect it and, since then, it has sat there quietly under the grass. Archaeologists recently realised that one wing of the villa is now within a few feet of the edge of the 100ft cliff and so are battling to record information before it disappears.
The site sits in a remarkable location overlooking the Channel and on a good day the coast of France is clearly visible. Although the cliff edge has eroded over the years this would have been a stunning location for thousands of years and any building situated on it would have been clearly visible from the sea.
In fact there were two villas, the earliest built c75AD and the second more substantial villa was built probably in the C2nd AD which included mosaic floors, a substantial bath house and a second block perhaps linked by the courtyard or perhaps a separate residence.
Classis Britannica tiles found on site may indicate a naval connection possibly even a signalling station. The villas are very high status and were obviously occupied by important and wealthy people –either Roman or Romano British.
Hidden History
In the distance under that flat area of grass in front of the white Martello fort, there lies not only the remains of two Roman villas but also one of the most significant late Iron Age sites in southern England, said to be of national and possibly of international importance.
The archaeologists have been surprised by the abundance and variety of recent finds. Flint implements recovered suggest intermittent occupation on the site going back to around 5000 BC. A fine Neolithic arrow head of c. 3000 BC was discovered recently. The quantity and quality of pre-Roman finds recovered from a recent archaeological dig has been reported as remarkable.
The site is very close to the cliff edge and much has been lost due to erosion since the first excavation in 1924. It was coastal erosion that first exposed the villa in the 1920s when archaeologist SE Winbolt discovered the site while on holiday in the area. He noticed fragments of tile and a stone drain protruding after a cliff fall and soon other items such as Roman pottery were found. The site was open to the public for a while but it deteriorated badly during the Second World War when it was occupied by troops defending the cliffs.The site was backfilled in 1957 to protect it and, since then, it has sat there quietly under the grass. Archaeologists recently realised that one wing of the villa is now within a few feet of the edge of the 100ft cliff and so are battling to record information before it disappears.
The site sits in a remarkable location overlooking the Channel and on a good day the coast of France is clearly visible. Although the cliff edge has eroded over the years this would have been a stunning location for thousands of years and any building situated on it would have been clearly visible from the sea.
In fact there were two villas, the earliest built c75AD and the second more substantial villa was built probably in the C2nd AD which included mosaic floors, a substantial bath house and a second block perhaps linked by the courtyard or perhaps a separate residence.
Classis Britannica tiles found on site may indicate a naval connection possibly even a signalling station. The villas are very high status and were obviously occupied by important and wealthy people –either Roman or Romano British.