15 



This is the finest yet uncovei-ed in this neighbourhood. 

 Sometimes there were two or three of these courts, as at 

 Woodchester. 



2. — In the form of the letter L, of which the one un- 

 covered at Colerne is an example. 



3. — A plain oblong, like that found at North Wraxall, and 

 which I am inclined to believe was the form of the Villa at 

 Cold Harbour. 



Further excavations would probably have brought to light 

 the ambulatories, which would be in the south side of the 

 building, and probably near to the edge of the field where 

 the Villa stood. 



5. — The position of this Villa must not be overlooked. 

 Roman Villas were generally placed not far from great 

 Eoman roads. The present one stood midway between two 

 — the Foss, which passes over Bannerdown, and the Via 

 Julia, which runs through Bitton. But there was probably 

 some nearer road than these, as the one is about two miles, 

 and the other is full five miles from the Villa. Some \dcinal 

 road, which traversed the north skirts of Lansdown, probably 

 united the two, though I have as yet been unable to hear of 

 any distinct trace of one. It is not improbable that a 

 Roman road passed straight over Lansdown, diverging from 

 the Via Julia near the village of Weston, and making for 

 a Camp a little west of the Grand Stand on the Race Course, 

 and thence over the Down direct for this Villa, from whence 

 it continued on in the direction of the Aust passage. 



The foundations of tliis Villa have now been dug up, and 

 the only traces of it are the inequalities of the ground fi-om 

 whence the materials have been taken, which is strewed 

 with pieces of brick and pottery, and the crumbling remains 

 of the concrete floors, which serve to enrich the land. The 

 field is now tilled, and the plough will soon eradicate every 

 vestige of the Villa. Already the earthen inclosure is 



