Rockbourne Roman Villa, Roman villa and museum in Rockbourne, England
Rockbourne Roman Villa is a Roman country estate in Rockbourne, Hampshire, where the foundations, bath suites, and mosaic floors of a large house have been uncovered. A small on-site museum displays objects found during excavations, including everyday items, jewelry, and coins.
The site was found by accident in 1942 when a farmer digging in a field uncovered the first traces, which led to decades of excavation. The remains show that the place was already in use during the Iron Age, long before the Roman building was constructed.
The museum displays decorated plaster fragments, jewelry, and skeletal remains that offer insights into daily life during Roman times. Visitors can observe the objects that people valued and how they lived in this period.
The site sits just outside the village of Rockbourne and is easiest to reach by car, as public transport links are limited. A visit works best in the warmer months, when both the open-air ruins and the museum are accessible.
In 1967, a pottery jar containing around 7,700 Roman coins from the 3rd century was dug up on the site. This hoard is one of the largest coin finds ever made in southern England.
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