82 PROCEEDINGS COTTESWOLD CLUB 1903 
After luncheon at the Mill Inn, the party proceeded to 
the Roman Villa in Chedworth Woods, under the guidance 
of Mr John Sawyer. Much has been written on the con- 
struction and contents of the villa, but little has been said 
as to the object for which it was built. Mr Sawyer held 
that it was a Government farm, for the breeding and 
stabling of horses, and for the residence of the officials in 
charge. The convenience of the Villa for such a purpose 
is obvious, for itis only two miles distant from one of 
the most important Roman Roads—the Foss Way. 
Among the articles found when the Villa was uncovered 
was a great quantity of pig-iron. For a long time archzeo- 
logists were puzzled as to the purpose for which this 
could have been used. But if the theory that the Villa 
was a horse-farm be correct, the occurrence of the pig-iron 
is explained in that it was used for the making of horse- 
shoes. It is also exceedingly probable that the iron came 
from the Forest of Dean, where to-day some of the 
cinders left by the Romans are being profitably worked 
owing to their imperfect method of smelting ore. 
A visit was then paid to the cuttings on the Midland 
and South Western Junction Railway behind the Villa to 
examine the ragstone beds of the Inferior Oolite, and an 
interesting fault bringing down the Fullers’ Earth. 
The following Table of the Inferior Oolite strata of the 
Cheltenham district was drawn up by our Hon. Secretary 
for the programme :— 
Approximate Thickness 
Feet 
Fullers’ Earth Clay 
( Upper Clypeus-Grit . se se bo eee “a 15 
| Ragstones \ Upper 777zgonia- Grit ane oc Soe oe see 5 
‘| Midate Terebr, Phillipsiana Beds os | 
Ranetones Bourguetia Beds a oot see 27 
a ne Witchellia Beds ai i 
iz Notgrove Freestone ... aor noe 20 
5 Tonien Gryphite Grit PA 
Ou) Weeeceoneamre eee Buckmani Beds sac doe 24 
~ 4 8 | Lower | Trigonia-Grit oe 
(e) ~ Snowshill Clay “4 \ 5 
=) Harford Sands bog iy 
= | Oolite Marl Upper Freestone bbc | 30 
Zz Series Oolite Marl ... a “es 406 
= Beakere Lower Freestone se Ais Bac 50 0 son, LG 
mane Sandy Beds... es ang 200 cee cine due 25 
Pea Grit = “9 ae a “te 358 25 
| 
iG Sandy Ferruginous Beds vrs te 50: 3a 550 10 
