Roman BritainRomano-British villa 400m west of White House
Roman Villa · Civilian

Romano-British villa 400m west of White House

Roman Britain
Pleiades ID: nhle-18995
Site type
Villa
Category
Civilian
Latitude
52.8788
Longitude
0.5779
Overview

History & context

This Romano-British villa lies in the parish of Wolferton on the eastern edge of the Wash, in northwest Norfolk, roughly 400m west of the farmstead known as White House. It appears to have been a modest rural villa of the type common in East Anglia, likely active from the 2nd to 4th centuries AD, situated on the lighter soils above the fen edge — a location favoured for mixed agricultural production and access to coastal and fen resources.

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

Significance

Historical significance

The site forms part of the dense pattern of villas and farmsteads exploiting the productive fen-edge landscape of west Norfolk, an area tied economically to the imperial estates of the Fens and to salt production along the Wash. Its position suggests a working agricultural establishment rather than a high-status display villa, contributing to regional grain and livestock supply.

Archaeology

Archaeological record

Little has been formally published on this specific site; it is known principally from surface finds — Roman building material (tile, tesserae), pottery scatters, and possibly hypocaust fragments — recorded through fieldwalking and the Norfolk Historic Environment Record rather than from systematic excavation. No detailed plan of the building has been recovered, and its size, layout, and precise occupation span remain undetermined.

About this site

Questions & answers

What is Romano-British villa 400m west of White House?

This Romano-British villa lies in the parish of Wolferton on the eastern edge of the Wash, in northwest Norfolk, roughly 400m west of the farmstead known as White House. 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 Romano-British villa 400m west of White House?

Romano-British villa 400m west of White House 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 Romano-British villa 400m west of White House?

Several Roman sites lie within a short distance, including Roman villa NE of Eaton (4.1 km), Romano-British villa 250m south of Park Farm (4.7 km), Roman villa in and adjacent to Denbeck Wood (7.1 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 Romano-British villa 400m west of White House?

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