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diverted perhaps as soon as Bath became a place of importance, 
and it was chiefly used since the Roman occupation of Bath as the 
road to Marlborough. We can trace it up past the Lower House 
Farm and the Bathford schools—after passing which it is called 
Court Lane—from its vicinity to the Monks’ Barn or Court 
Baron (now the schools), where the Manor Courts were held. 
Court Lane ends in Warleigh Lane now, and on the other side the 
right of way is preserved in a stile and ancient footway leading 
into the old Marlborough road up the hill, and to a private road to 
the quarries, long disused. I have spoken of “the Lower House” 
Farm ; the name seems to have been given the farm from a 
discovery which attracted much attention in the 17th century. 
Aubrey thus describes the remains of a Roman villa found in 
Horselands, A.D. 1655. ‘At Bathford (near ye Citie of Bathe) 
was found by digging of a drayning trench deeper than ordinarily 
in the grounds of one Mr. Skreene in the year 1655, a roome 
underground, which was about fourteen foot one way and 17 feet 
the other, the pavement of which was opus tesselatum (tesselated 
work) of small stones of several colours, viz., white (hard chalk), 
blue liasse and red, fine brick.” I had several of them which I 
gave to the Repository of the Royal Society. “In the middle of 
the floor was a blue bird, not well proportioned, and in each of 
the 4 angles a sort of knott. This ground and the whole manor 
did belong to ye Abbey of Bath. Underneath this floor there is 
water. The floor is borne on pillars of stone about an ell distant 
ye one from the other. On the pillars were laid plank stones on 
which the opus tesselatum was layd. The water issued out of 
ye earth a little below, and many persuade themselves there is much 
water init. This discovered place was so much frequented that 
it caused Mr, Skreene to cover it up again, because ye great con- 
course of people, especially from Bathe, injured his grounds, but 
he would not cover it so soon, but ye people had torn up almost 
all ye work before I came hither to see it, but his daughter in 
lawe hath described ye whole floor with her needle. Mr. S. told 
me there is another floor adjoining yet untouched.” 
