Roman BritainRudston Roman Villa
Roman Villa · Civilian

Rudston Roman Villa

Roman Britain
Pleiades ID: 920394485734333
Site type
Villa
Category
Civilian
Latitude
54.0848
Longitude
-0.3361
Overview

History & context

Rudston Roman villa is a Romano-British villa and scheduled monument near Rudston, East Riding of Yorkshire, England.

The site was first discovered in 1838 by farm worker. In 1933 the 'Venus mosaic' was discovered by the landowner and farmer H. Robson whilst ploughing.

The primary phase of the villa dates to the 3rd–4th centuries AD. It is a courtyard villa, with mosaics and a small bath house on the east side. The site has some evidence for a 1st–2nd century AD rectangular enclosure and an earlier Iron Age settlement beneath it.

The site is listed on the heritage at risk register as having 'extensive significant problems' and is vulnerable from plough damage.

H. Robson retained the mosaics he discovered in the ground, and built a shed over them to display them to the public. By the 1960s frost damage was causing the mosaics to deteriorate and they were transferred to the Hull and East Riding Museum where they have been on display since 1963. The 'Charioteer mosaic' was found in excavations in 1971; it depicts a quadriga and dates to the 4th century AD.

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

About this site

Questions & answers

What is Rudston Roman Villa?

Rudston Roman villa is a Romano-British villa and scheduled monument near Rudston, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The site was first discovered in 1838 by farm worker. 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 Rudston Roman Villa?

Rudston Roman Villa 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 Rudston Roman Villa?

Several Roman sites lie within a short distance, including Rudston (1.3 km), Romano-British villa east of Sandy Lane, 800m north west of Harpham Grange (3.2 km), Harpham Roman Villa and Settlement (5 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 Rudston Roman Villa?

Aubrey Research generates detailed historical reports for any location in Britain, incorporating Roman heritage, Domesday Book records, scheduled monument data, archaeological finds and much more. Enter a nearby address to begin.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Rudston Roman Villa

This page covers the Roman site at Rudston Roman Villa. A full Aubrey report for the area pulls together this site alongside scheduled monuments and everything else the record holds within a few miles:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
First month just £4.99, then £9.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Rudston Roman Villa report
Or see a real report first
Aubrey Research

Generate a full report for this location

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any address in Britain, drawing on Roman heritage, Domesday records, scheduled monument data and medieval history to reveal the complete story of a landscape.

Research the area around Rudston Roman Villa