More information : (ST 51511784) Roman Villa (R) (site of) (NAT) (1)
A late Roman corridor villa was discovered in April 1945 in a field known as Snow Mead on Manor Farm, Lufton. Excavations from 1960 to 1963 were conducted with the aim of examining more fully the finds of 1946 to 1952. The results of the later excavations confirmed the earlier plan. The villa was apparently built first as a wingless corridor house, a short wing had been added to the southern end, whilst at the north-west corner was a large octagonal building with a plunge bath. The bath suite was fully excavated and was found to be unusually elaborate for this site of villa. "At least nine patterned mosaics can now be credited to the villa at Lufton. Six survived in a more or less fragmentary state, and these are not earlier than the fourth century". Two tessellated floors and painted wall plaster were uncovered. Hypocausts were found in rooms 10, 11 and 12. Small finds of iron, bronze, glass and stone objects were made. The majority of the pottery was of a hard black ware; only two small sherds of Samian were found. Fifteen coins were found on the site chiefly of the mid and late 4th century. (2-3)
The site of the villa is marked by an extensive scatter of lias and stone at ST 51551784 in the ploughed field. No recent finds have been made. (4)
SO 5 Listed as the site of a Roman villa, it had an elaborate bath house with an octagonal room and a pyramid roof. (5)
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