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Sparsholt Roman Villa
Reconstruction of Sparsholt Roman Villa at Butser Ancient Farm
Location within Hampshire
General information
Location	Sparsholt, Hampshire grid reference SU415301
Country	United Kingdom
Coordinates	51°04′09″N 1°24′34″W / 51.0691°N 1.4095°W / 51.0691; -1.4095
Construction started	2nd century
Demolished	5th century

Sparsholt Roman Villa was a Roman villa near the village of Sparsholt, Hampshire, England. It was constructed in phases from the 2nd to the 5th century, and then abandoned. It was excavated in 1965–72. Nothing is visible at the site today, but finds from the excavations are on display in Winchester City Museum, and one wing of the villa has been reconstructed at Butser Ancient Farm.

History

The earliest known house uncovered at Sparsholt was a single-aisled farmhouse probably built in the 2nd century. It may initially have been undivided internally, but by 200 AD it had been replaced by an aisled house with living rooms and a bath suite at one end. In the early 4th century a separate winged-corridor house was constructed at right-angles to the aisled house, and both buildings formed two sides of a rectangular enclosure. A barn-like structure was added on the third side of the enclosure. The fourth side contained the entrance to the enclosure which was opposite the winged-corridor house. Tessellated pavements and mosaics were added to both houses.

The last structure to be built, perhaps during the post-Roman period, was a timbered hall, outside the courtyard. This incorporated material plundered from the earlier buildings, but nothing distinctively post-Roman or early Saxon has been found on the site.

Excavation and display

The villa is located in West Wood, just west of the village of Sparsholt, Hampshire. Trial excavations were conducted in 1890 and 1895 which revealed part of the plan of the villa. Excavations, which were led by David E. Johnston, were conducted from 1965–72. Nothing is visible on the ground today.

On display in Winchester City Museum is a near-intact 4th-century geometric mosaic taken from the aisled building. Also on display in the museum is a fresco containing a female portrait within a tondo, which may show the mistress of the house. Another fresco is a painted version of a guilloché – a type of pattern common in mosaics but extremely rare in Roman frescos.

At Butser Ancient Farm near Petersfield is a reconstruction of the aisled villa building. The building was constructed by volunteers and includes a functioning hypocaust system.

References

1. Dominic Perring, (2002), The Roman House in Britain, pages 53–4. Routledge
2. ^ Richard Hingley, (1989), Rural settlement in Roman Britain, page 69. Seaby
3. ^ Guy De la Bédoyère, (1993), Book of Roman villas and the countryside, page 63. English Heritage
4. ^ Monument No. 231909, Pastscape
5. ^ David E. Johnston, (2002), Discovering Roman Britain, pages 61–2. Osprey
6. ^ Roger John Anthony Wilson, (2002), A guide to the Roman remains in Britain, page 113. Constable

Further reading

• David E. Johnston, (1973), The Sparsholt Roman villa: summary of excavations, 1965–1972

v t e Villas in Roman Britain
Aiskew Bancroft Beadlam Bignor Borough Hill Boxmoor Brading Brantingham Bucknowle Carsington Chedworth Crofton Dalton Parlours Fishbourne Folkestone Gadebridge Park Great Witcombe High Wycombe Horkstow Keston Rutland Kings Weston Littlecote Llantwit Major Lopen Low Ham Lullingstone Newport North Leigh Piddington Rockbourne Rudston Sparsholt Spoonley Wood Totternhoe Welwyn (Dicket Mead) Welwyn (Lockleys) Woodchester Winterton
See also: List of Roman villas in England and List of Roman villas in Wales

v t e Roman visitor sites in the UK
Villas	Bignor Brading Chedworth Crofton Dover Painted House Fishbourne Great Witcombe Littlecote Lullingstone Newport North Leigh Piddington Rockbourne Sparsholt Wroxeter
Forts & military	Ambleside Roman Fort Arbeia Banks East Turret Binchester Birdoswald Burgh Castle Caerleon Chesters Derventio Dover Castle Eboracum Hardknott Roman Fort Housesteads Lancaster Lunt Carvoran Roman Army Museum Over Burrow (Lancaster) Pevensey Castle Portchester Castle Ribchester Richborough Segedunum Venta Icenorum Vindolanda
Towns	Aldborough Roman Site Chichester Colchester Corbridge Silchester Venta Icenorum St Albans Wroxeter
Museums	Canterbury Roman Museum Carvoran Roman Army Museum Caerleon Roman Fortress and Baths Colchester Castle Museum Corinium Museum Jewry Wall Museum National Roman Legion Museum Ribchester Senhouse Roman Museum Trimontium Trust (Melrose) Verulamium Museum
Other sites	Bath Roman Baths Benwell Roman temple Caerleon Roman Baths Chester Roman Amphitheatre Jewry Wall, Leicester Welwyn Roman Baths York Roman Baths

• Roman villas in Hampshire
• 2nd-century establishments in Roman Britain
• 5th-century disestablishments in Roman Britain