Pitney Villa

Villa

This is a minor Romano British villa situated on the northern slope of a steep hill overlooking the Leazemoor Rhyne and River Cary. The villa survives as predominantly buried structures, deposits and layers with a few slight earthworks visible as surface remains. It was partially excavated by Samuel Hassell in 1828-9 and he uncovered a courtyard style dwelling house measuring approximately 99m by 64m with the principal rooms and main corridor located to the west of the courtyard, a range of rooms culminating in a bath block to the south and to the east a further range, possibly the servants’ quarters. Finds included figured mosaics, painted plaster, lead pipes for water and hypocausts. To the east of the dwelling a further building, likened in size to a dovecote contained tiles, fragmentary inscriptions, pieces of lachrymatories, human skeletons and some coins.

RIB 182 - Fragmentary funerary inscription

No translation

PATER[...]
PATRI[...]
SANC[...]

No commentary.

RIB 183 - Fragmentary funerary inscription

… I lived without any [blemish] thirty years ..

[...  ]IXI SIN[  ...  ...]
TRIGINTA [...]
QVAE CAPI[...]
NONO[...]

The noun following sine ulla is likely to be macula or querela.

There are other villa estates in the area at High Ham (ST4229), Low Ham (ST4328) and Bradley Spring (ST4931), and another villa to the south near Ilchester (ST5123). There are also several substantial Roman buildings; Curry Rivel (ST4024), two at Somerton (ST4729 & ST4929), Stanchester (ST4818), Highbrooks (ST5025), Catsgore (ST5026), Hurcot (ST5129), Lyte’s Carey (ST5227) and Bull Lawn Lane (ST5329).

References for Pitney

  • The Roman Inscriptions of Britain by R.G. Collingwood and R.P. Wright (Oxford 1965). 

Map References for Pitney

NGRef: ST4530 OSMap: LR182

Roman Roads near Pitney

SSE (8) to Ilchester NW (12) to Iscalis (nr. Bawdrip, Somerset)

Sites near Pitney Villa