Monument record 0038000000 - GREAT PENNS MEAD/THE RYE

1722 tessellated pavement discovered (B1).
1862 villa excavated near middle of field (B2).
1954 4 structures of villa complex excavated: medium-sized house of double corridor type; detached bathhouse; boundary wall with gate & gatehouse & outbuilding. Laid out about AD 150-170. No evidence of destruction (B8-9).
Evaluation test pitting carried out by Oxford Archaeology in December 2000 within the swimming pool complex indicated that remains of villa walls and floor make-up deposits survived at least in places at a depth of 0.9m below recent made ground (B16).
A watching brief carried out by Oxford Archaeology in 2002 during groundworks revealed in-situ sections of the villa walls (Hartley's rooms XIIa and XIIb) and a possible make-up layer for the villa floor, surviving beneath existing buildings of the modern swimming pool complex (B19).
Geophysical survey by Northamptonshire Archaeology in 4 areas to the north, east and west of the swimming pool complex in March 2001 failed to locate any anomalies that could be attributed to the villa or associated structures (B17).
Subsequent additional geophysical surveys in October and November 2001 identified two areas of high anomolies to the north of the swimming pool, probably representing buried walls of buildings associated with the villa, which are tentatively interpreted as boundary walls, ancillary buildings and a second bath suite (B18).
Watching brief carried out by Oxford Archaeology between May and December 2005 during groundworks for extensions to car park, service trenching and associated landscaping to SE of The Rye Centre identified spreads of demolition debris from the villa in planting pits 2-6, both car park extensions, the drain chamber and the interceptor tank. The presence of post-medieval material within these deposits is interpreted as evidence of post-medieval cultivation [or disturbance/landscaping in 18th/19th centuries?]. A layer of Romano-British brick approx 0.5m thick, interpreted as the demolition spread from a wall, was recorded in planting pit 6. It is suggested that this could be a boundary wall due to its distance (100m) from the known villa buildings. [If so, wall might represent an outer precinct, or simply an outbuilding?] (B21).
Parchmarks of a separate outbuilding or possibly another villa building [0038007000] identified about 60m NW of the main villa (B22).
Description of mosaics, rooms and finds from an excavation undertaken c1862, from 1865 BAS Minute book. It notes 'the pavement found in1724 corresponds with nothing hitherto discovered' (B23).

(SU 87409239) Roman Villa (R) (Site of). (B26)

In 1722-4, a mosaic floor was discovered by workmen of the Abbey estate, although no extended excavation was done. Rediscovered in 1863 when the villa was partly explored by
E J Payne (see plan). Further excavations at SU 873923 under Francis Colmer in 1932 and later, were confined to areas already dug by Payne, but were unpublished and the present
location of any finds from these excavations and the earlier ones is unknown.

The site was excavated in 1954 and four structures belonging to a Roman villa complex were discovered (see plan) comprising a medium sized house of double corridor type; a detached bathhouse; a boundary wall with gate and gatehouse and an outbuilding of uncertain purpose. The villa was laid out about AD 150-170 and the baths extensively modified in the early 4th century. The economic basis of the villa is obscure and so is its ultimate fate. No evidence of destruction was found and the latest securly dateable object was a worn coin of AD 320-4. Finds are divided between High Wycombe and Aylesbury Museums. The site was completely destroyed in 1855-6 by the construction of a swimming bath (B2 and B8).

A scatter of worked flints and sherds of Ebbsfleet and Beaker pottery were found beneath the villa by B R Hartley (B7).

No further information (B27).

NRHE Insert 1997, Updated 1999, 2004 (B28).