Shock after villas discovered in buried Roman city of Wroxeter

The National Trust has revealed two previously unknown Roman villas on one of its estates.

The charity commissioned a survey of more than 1,000 hectares (2,471 acres) of the Attingham Park estate in Shropshire to map the area’s archaeological remains.

The findings will help the National Trust work with its tenant farmers on the estate to create habitats such as woodlands and wetlands to help nature recover in the area, while protecting important archaeological remains.

The estate includes part of the buried Roman town of Wroxeter (Viriconium Cornoviorum), which is maintained by English Heritage.

Magnitude Surveys teams used the latest technology to conduct a magnetometer survey, which allows large areas to be surveyed in a relatively short time and records subtle changes in the local magnetic field, highlighting buried features that have different magnetic properties to the surrounding ground.

The survey – the largest ever commissioned by the National Trust – has uncovered evidence of what are believed to be two large, previously unknown Roman rural villas and a Roman cemetery on a road leading out of Wroxeter.

The villas show evidence of at least two phases of construction or occupation, with floor plans that highlight the internal divisions of rooms and outbuildings.

According to the National Trust, it is likely that the villas had features typical of such country estates, such as underfloor heating known as hypocausts, their own public baths and mosaic floors.

Only six other villas of this type are known in Shropshire.

The survey also detected eight enclosures and remains of ditches, possibly Iron Age or Romano-British farmsteads, four of which were previously unknown.

The agency said they were likely small farms, perhaps intended to provide food for the nearby town.

The survey also revealed evidence of several Roman roads to the west of Wroxeter and gave archaeologists a better understanding of settlement activity immediately outside the town’s defences and changes in use of the area during the Roman period.

Elsewhere on the estate, new elements linked to a large Anglo-Saxon room already known have been detected.

The survey also identified substantial geophysical evidence that adds to existing knowledge of RAF Atcham, an airfield used during the Second World War, and its runways, perimeter defences and landscaping.

National Trust archaeologist Janine Young said: “The Attingham Estate has always been known for its great historical and archaeological significance, which is now confirmed by the largest geophysical survey ever undertaken by the National Trust.

“We have seen tantalising hints of these remains over the years, with evidence appearing in cultivation traces, aerial imagery and through small surveys and excavations.

“But until now, what lies beneath the ground’s surface has never been fully studied.

“This new geophysical study has truly transformed our knowledge by establishing a complete ‘map’ of what lies beneath our feet, giving us a fascinating picture of the hidden past of the area, revealing important sites previously unknown.”

The National Trust said the findings will help it plan land use changes with its tenants to restore nature, capture carbon and build resilience to climate change impacts such as flooding in the region.

This will help it make decisions such as where to plant trees, restore natural pastures, create nature-friendly arable land or wetlands and how to manage flood plains, the charity said.

Alice Collier, National Trust project director, said: “Having this detailed knowledge of how the land has been used in the past directly informs our plans for how the land could best be used in the future for the benefit of nature and people.

“The survey results help influence the location and design of potential woodland and wetland projects by highlighting areas we will need to bypass to protect important archaeological remains.

“We are working collaboratively with our farmers to see how we can make changes to nature and help mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change while respecting the heritage of the landscape.”

English Heritage said the survey results were “exciting” and would help increase knowledge about Wroxeter.

Winn Scutt, Senior Property Conservator, said: “While we know a lot about the town of Wroxeter in Roman times from surveys carried out in the 1990s, the wider area around the site still has much to reveal.

“This latest geophysical survey by the National Trust is exciting and, together with the further excavations by English Heritage in July and the surveys being carried out by Historic England, we are significantly increasing our understanding of this important historic site.”