Roman BritainBedwyn
Roman Villa · Civilian

Bedwyn

Roman Britain
Pleiades ID: 79324
Site type
Villa
Category
Civilian
Latitude
51.3573
Longitude
-1.5728
Overview

History & context

The Bedwyn site lies in the Kennet valley of eastern Wiltshire, near the village of Great Bedwyn, in an area densely occupied by Romano-British rural settlement. It is identified as a villa of the civilian type, likely active from the 2nd through 4th centuries AD, consistent with the trajectory of small to middling villas across the chalk downland of north Wiltshire and west Berkshire.

Source: Pleiades — A Community-Built Gazetteer and Graph of Ancient Places. View the Pleiades record →

Significance

Historical significance

The villa sat within the agricultural hinterland of Cunetio (Mildenhall), a notable small town and roadside settlement on the road network linking Silchester (Calleva) with the west, and would have formed part of the productive estate landscape supplying that centre. It is one of a cluster of villas along the Kennet that reflects the prosperity of this corridor in the later Roman period.

About this site

Questions & answers

What is Bedwyn?

The Bedwyn site lies in the Kennet valley of eastern Wiltshire, near the village of Great Bedwyn, in an area densely occupied by Romano-British rural settlement. It is recorded in the Pleiades gazetteer of ancient places as a villa site from the Roman period in Britain.

What type of Roman site is Bedwyn?

Bedwyn is classified as a Roman villa — a civilian site in the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer. Roman Britain's archaeology encompasses thousands of sites ranging from legionary fortresses and marching camps to villas, temples and towns.

What other Roman sites are near Bedwyn?

Several Roman sites lie within a short distance, including Roman villa in Castle Copse (1.7 km), Romano-British kilns 150yds (135m) SSW of Tottenham House (5.3 km), Romano-British kilns, Column Ride, Savernake Forest (8.2 km). Aubrey Research maps over 2,200 Roman sites across Britain, drawn from the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer.

How can I research the history of the area around Bedwyn?

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