200 BURIAL OF THE REMAINS Chap. IV. 



encountered some remains.* But subse- 

 quently the tops of some stone walls were de- 

 tected in parts of the wood, projecting a little 

 above the surface of the ground. Most of the 

 coins found here belonged to Constans (who 

 died 350 a.d.) and the Constantine family. 

 My sons Francis and Horace visited the 

 place in November 1877, for the sake of 

 ascertaining what part worms may have 

 played in the burial of these extensive re- 

 mains. But the circumstances were not 

 favourable for this object, as the ruins are sur- 

 rounded on three sides by rather steep banks, 

 down which earth is washed during rainy 

 weather. Moreover most of the old rooms 

 have been covered with roofs, for the pro- 

 tection of the elegant tesselated pavements. 



A few facts may, however, be given on the 

 thickness of the soil over these ruins. Close 

 outside the northern rooms there is a broken 

 wall, the summit of which was covered by 5 



* Several accounts of these ruins have been published ; the 

 best is by Mr. James Farrer in ' Proc. Soc. of Antiquaries of 

 Scotland,' vol. vi., Part II., 1867, p. 278. Also J. W. Grover, 

 ' Journal of the British Arch. Assoc' June 1866. Professor 

 Buckman has likewise published a pamphlet, ' Notes on the 

 Roman Villa at Chedworth,' 2nd edit. 1873 : Cirencester. 



