300 Some account of a Roman Villa in the Parish of Bromham. 



also deposited in the Museum at Devizes, which were found within 

 the precincts of the Bromham villa. But in the autumn of 1880, 

 in consequence of the idea of a thorough re-examination of the 

 whole area occupied by the Roman villa having been entertained, it 

 was deemed advisable to appoint a committee of three persons, in- 

 cluding the two Curators of the Society's Museum, to make pre- 

 liminary excavations, and to report upon the result of their operations. 

 The present paper records their opinion after careful investigation of 

 the spot: while their operations were confined, 1st, to examining 

 the ground for a considerable distance in the neighbourhood of the 

 villa ; and, 2nd, to laying bare the foundations of the building, in 

 order to ascertain, as far as possible, its extent. 



No indications of other buildings in the neighbourhood of the 

 villa were discovered. 



On the actual site, the foundations of a south frontage were opened, 

 extending east and west to a length of 135 feet. A part of this 

 frontage, nearest to the road, measuring twenty-nine feet, was found 

 to be not in exactly the same line with the rest, being slightly set 

 -back ; and the face of this portion was still further broken by a part 

 being recessed to the depth of about 6 inches. 



The greatest length of wall excavated in the direction of north 

 and south was 56 feet, from the front to a point where the building 

 was cut by the road. The foundations of three complete chambers, 

 as well as portions of others, were laid bare. The largest of these, 

 to the extreme north of the excavations, was in the form of, and 

 slightly longer than, a semicircle of 15 feet radius. This was bi- 

 sected by a hot-air flue, into which another flue ran at right angles. 

 These flues, and the apsidal form of the structure, would point to 

 this portion of the building as devoted to the baths. 



In one of the flues a quantity of broken pottery, some of it glazed, 

 was discovered ; also a number of the bones of the deer, ox, sheep, 

 goat, and hog. These articles were probably deposited here when 

 the ground was explored in 1840 by the late J. Stoughton Money, 1 

 Esq., F.S.A., as of little value compared with other archaeological 



1 Afterwards the Bev. J. Stoughton Money-Kyrle, Kector of Yatesbury. 



