Keynsham Villa
Settlement and Villa
Keynsham Roman Villa (or Keynsham Cemetery Villa) refers to a cluster of villas built during the Roman occupation of Britain near Keynsham in Somerset, England. Two villas have been found, the larger of which is thought to be one of the grandest villas constructed in all of Britain. The sites have never been fully excavated, in part because portions of each are located underneath a cemetery, a major road, and the once shuttered Somerdale Chocolate Factory, which is now a housing estate.
Excavations in 1922-24 at Keynsham Cemetery uncovered a large and elaborate villa consisting of three corridors round a courtyard 209′ x 202′ underlying the cemetery and road embankment. Excavated 1922-24. The villa located may be one of grandest villas ever built in Britain, and has even been compared to a small palace.
Archaeologists believe that this villa may have been the home a high ranking retired-army officer or civil servant, and it had over 30 rooms, hypocaust heated floors, and numerous elaborate and expensive mosaics. The rooms were connected by a veranda supported by a colonnade which ran around three sides of the courtyard.
Excavation in 1922 on the site of Fry’s Chocolate Factory uncovered a probable villa site; buildings, a bath house, altar and inhumations in stone coffins were found. A stone lined well nearby was left in situ.
The foundations of the building were reconstructed near the entrance to the factory in 1927 and conform reasonably well with the excavation plan. The consolidated walling is from 0.1m to 0.4m high and mostly 0.6m thick. To the south east of the building is a dump of several tons of medieval worked stones found in the construction of the Keynsham by-pass at the point where it cut through Keynsham Abbey.
Tessellated pavements removed and walls under graveyard destroyed after planning. Coins found from Victorinus (265 AD) to Valentinian (364-375).
A fragmentary part of the villa is exposed at ST 6451 6925 in Keynsham cemetery. It consists of a small irregular room with stone walling 1.0m high (the top of the walling is level with the ground surface). At this site there are also pieces of columns and stone drainage channelling.
There is a single inscription on stone recorded in the R.I.B. for Somerdale and Keynsham.
RIB 181 - Dedication to Silvanus
To the Divinities of the deified Emperors Gaius Indutius Felix willingly and deservedly fulfilled his vow to Silvanus …
AVG G INDVTIVS
FELIX SILVANO
V S L M
CON VIC GA
For the expansion of Aug. as Aug(ustorum) see note to RIB 152.
Visiting Keynsham Villa
References for Keynsham / Somerdale Villa
- The Roman Inscriptions of Britain by R.G. Collingwood and R.P. Wright (Oxford 1965).
- Monument Number 201036
Map References for Somerdale Villa
NGRef: ST6460 OSMap: LR172
Roman Roads near Somerdale Villa
None identified
Sites near Keynsham Villa
- Aquae Sulis (Bath) (10 km)
Roman Spa Town and Roman Temple Or Shrine - Pagans Hill Chew Stoke Temple (12 km)
Temple Or Shrine - Combe Villa (12 km)
Villa - Sea Mills (Abona) Roman Building (13 km)
Roman Houses - Gatcombe Roman Settlement (13 km)
Industry and Minor Settlement - Chew Park Roman Villa (13 km)
Villa - Wellow Courtyard Villa (13 km)
Villa - Camerton Settlement (13 km)
Iron-work and Minor Settlement - Sea Mills (Abona) Roman Port (14 km)
Minor Settlement and Port - Kings Weston Villa (15 km)
Villa