236 



%\t Jiomaii Mi\h at Jo*. 1 



By Harold Brakspear, F.S.A. 



jfgjg^KE village of Box, which is about five and a half miles east 



M of Bath, just within the Wiltshire border, was in Koman 



times about two miles distant from either of the two great roads 



leading from Bath in an easterly and northerly direction to 



Silchester and Cirencester respectively. 



A writer in the Gentleman's Magazine of 1831 (part L, 595-6), 



in a letter upon the topography of Box, says : — 



"the tradition of the place was, that there had been formerly found baths 

 . . . which had been considered to have been Koman," 



and : — 



"that several beautiful tesselated pavements had formerly been found in 

 the churchyard and gardens adjoining, but no spot could be pointed out 

 where the same might with certainty be found," 



but the writer continues : — 



" a year or two ago, in a garden belonging to Mr. Mullins,- adjoining the 

 churchyard, in making some additions to a very old building, 3 the workmen 

 sinking for a foundation struck upon the mutilated remains of a tesselated 

 pavement about two or three feet below the surface of the ground. It appeared 

 to have been part of a large square, and the part now discovered was evidently 



1 For a large part of the expense of the illustrations accompanying this 

 paper the Society is indebted to the kindness of Mr. W. Heward Bell. For 

 one of the photos reproduced we are indebted to Miss Coote, of Bath ; for 

 another to Mr. Hardy, of Box ; and for the remainder to Mr. Sidney 

 Brakspear. The drawing of the capital was kindly made by Mr.E. Cook, 

 of Devizes, and all the plans and drawings of pavements, &c, by Mr. H. 

 Brakspear. The British Archaeological Association has kindly allowed us to 

 make use of the description and plan of the portions excavated in 1881, 

 which were given in their Journal.— [Ed.] 



2 He occupied the house now called " The Wilderness," and rented the 

 land whereon both the excavations of 1881 and 1902 took place. 



3 This was certainly the "Old Parsonage House," that stood until 1853 

 upon the north-west angle of plot D (plan of site), and of which were found 

 certain foundations, in part made of hypocaust pilae laid on their sides. 



