299 



<§omc acconnt of t|e ^emaiit^ of n ^omaii WUh 

 k % "^arblj of §tom|am. 



By the Rev. H. A. Olivi;eb, M.A. 



fiSS^HE Roman villa in question has from time to time for many 

 flrKy^ years past been a subject of interest and enquiry to the 

 archaeologists of Wiltshire. So long ago as in Sir Richard Hoare'S 

 time it was examined, under the superintendence of Mr. Cunnington, 

 but even then he describes it as having been previously investigated. 

 For the plate showing a coloured representation of the mosaic pave- 

 ment we must refer our readers to Sir R. C. Hoare^s noble volume 

 on North Wilts, but the following extract from the same book will 

 furnish us with the opinion of it as given by our pioneer in Wiltshire 

 antiquities : — 



" The fourth and last tesselated pavement which I have to com- 

 memorate is situated in the Parish of Bromham near Calne, about 

 three quarters of a mile south of the Roman Station of Verlucio, 

 and on the east side and close to the turnpike road leading from 

 Chippenham to Devizes ; having Bromham House a quarter of a 

 mile to the east. The large arable field in which the Roman pave- 

 ment was discovered is called West Park in the Parish of Brom- 

 ham 



" Although I have for the first time been enabled to introduce 

 this Pavement to the public ; yet I cannot boast of having been the 

 discoverer of it ; but, having heard of its existence, I had the 

 curiosity to see it re-opened in the year 1810, under the superinten- 

 dence of Mr. Cunnington ; and, though it had certainly been in- 

 vestigated previous to our attempt, yet fortunately enough of it was 

 left to make it worthy of record in the annexed plate. " 



Since the time of Sir R. Hoare, subsequent investigations have 

 been made in the same site, not without injury to the pavement each 

 time it was uncovered : a Roman urn and sundry other relics are 



VOL. XIX. — NO. LVII. 3 A 



