A correspondent of the _Lincolnshire Chronicle_ writes: For some weeks
past, remains of a Roman villa have been exposed to view by Mr.
Ramsden's miners in Greetwell Fields. From, the extent of the tesselated
pavements laid bare there is hardly any doubt that in the Greetwell
Fields, in centuries long gone by, there stood a Roman mansion, which
for magnitude was perhaps unrivaled in England. Six years ago I drew
attention to it. The digging for iron ore soon after this was brought to
a standstill by the company, which at the time was working the mines,
ceasing their operations. Then the property came into other hands, and
since then more extensive basement floors of the villa have from time to
time been laid bare, and from tentative explorations which have been
just made, still more floors remain to be uncovered which may be of a
most interesting and instructive character. What a pity it is that the
inhabitants of Lincoln have not made an effort to preserve these
precious relics of the grandeur of the Roman occupation, an occupation
to which England owes so much. From the Romans the people of this
country inherit the sturdy self-reliance and perseverance in action
which have helped to make England what it is, and from the Romans too,
in a great degree, does England also inherit her colonizing instincts,
which impel her people to cover the waste places of the world with
colonies. If the Roman remains which have been so abundantly discovered
of late years in Lincoln and its vicinity had been collected and laid
out for exhibition, they would have formed a most interesting collection
of antiquities worthy of the town, and well worth showing to visitors
who now annually make Lincoln a visitation. Although these relics of a
remote age are being dug up and are being destroyed, it is not the fault
of Mr. Ramsden, for he not only preserved them as long as he
conveniently could, but he also had the soil removed from over them, and
had them thoroughly washed, in order that people might have an
opportunity of seeing their extent and beauty. One of these patches of
pavement extended 48 yards northward from what might be called the main
building, which had previously been broken up. This strip was 13 ft. in
breadth, and down its center ran an intricate pattern worked in blue
tesseræ. The pattern is much used in these days in fabrics and works of
art, and is, I think, called the Grecian or Roman key pattern. On each
side of this ran alternately broad ribbons of white and narrower ribbons
of red tesseræ. There is also another strip of pavement to the south of
the preceding patch, which has been laid bare to the extent of 27 yards.
This patch is about 10 ft. in breadth, and its western portion is cut up
in neat patterns, which show that they formed the floors of rooms. From
the eastern extremity of these floors evidently another long strip of 48
or 50 yards still remains to be uncovered. Doubtless there are other
remains beneath the ground which will be laid bare as the work of mining
goes on. All these floors were not deeper than from 18 to 30 inches
below the surface of the soil. The bones of animals and other relics
have been found in the covering soil and have been turned up by the
miners from time to time. The pavement is all worked out with cubes,
varying in size from an inch and a half to two inches square, each piece
being placed in position with most careful exactness. The strip which
extends 48 yards and is 13 ft. wide runs due north and south. There is a
second patch, running east and west, and this is 27 ft. long by 10 ft.
wide, while a third is 27 ft. long by 11 ft. wide, this also running in
a northern direction. To the north of this latter piece, and separated
only by about two feet (about the width of a wall, which very possibly
was the original division), there is a strip of tesseræ 16 ft. wide,
which had been laid bare 40 yards. It was thought probable that at the
end of the last named strip still another patch would be found. Mr.
Ramsden, the manager of the Ironstone Works, is keeping a plan of the
whole of the pavement, which he is coloring in exact imitation of the
original work. This, when completed, will be most interesting, and he
will be quite willing to show it to any one desirous of inspecting the
same. Many persons have paid a visit to the spot where the discoveries
have been made, and surprise is invariably expressed at the magnitude
and beautiful symmetry of the work.
Several interesting fragments of Roman work have been brought to light
in the course of excavations that are being made for building purposes
at Twyford, near Winchester. About a month ago, a paved way, composed
entirely of small red tiles, six feet in width and extending probably a
considerable distance (a length of 14 ft. was uncovered), was found
while digging on the site for flints. The more recent excavations are 20
ft. west of this passage, and there is now to be seen, in a very perfect
state of preservation, an oven or kiln with three openings. Five yards
away from this is a chamber about eight feet square, paved with tiles,
and the sides coated with a reddish plaster. On one side is a ledge 15
in. from the ground, extending the whole length of the chamber; on the
floor is a sunk channel with an opening at the end for the water to
escape. This chamber evidently represents the bath. Portions of the
dividing walls of the different chambers have also been discovered,
together with various bones, teeth, horns and ornaments, but very few
coins. It is probable that an alteration in the plans of the house which
was about to be built on the spot will be made so as to preserve all the
more interesting features of these remains in the basement. These
discoveries were made at a depth of only two or three feet from the
surface of the ground, and are within about a quarter of a mile of other
Roman remains which were similarly brought to light a few months ago.
* * * * *
[Continued from SUPPLEMENT, No. 830, page 13110.]