Brading Roman Villa

Sir Barry Cunliffe will be leading the first major excavation on the Brading site since 1880. A great deal is yet to be discovered about this 3rd century maritime villa because very little of the total site has ever been explored. This is the second year of a five year project.

The excavation in 1880, as was typical for its time, did little more than expose the floors and walls of the principal buildings as we see them now. No attempt was made to explore the origins and history of the establishment, or the economic basis on which it thrived. Nor was the core of the villa (three masonry buildings) put into the context of the wider environment. These questions, and many more, were left for future generations to tackle!

Principle Objectives:

* To set Brading villa in the context of its immediate history and to enable the story of a Roman villa estate to be told, from its pre-Roman origins until its final demise.
* To explain the villa’s origins and social and economic structure and its role in the wider community, including its relationship with Brading harbour.
* To re-examine parts of the main villa building and to excavate previously unexplored buildings at the estate.
* To display and publish results and finds at a new museum to be developed at the villa, to the enhanced cultural benefit of the wider community.
* To develop an enhanced schools and educational programme, including access to the site to view progress of the excavations, with the potential for long term exposure.

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Category: Event Diary