The ‘courtyard villa’ is a courtyard with a gate on one side and corridors on the other three sides.
This is an example of a ‘corridor’ or ‘winged corridor’.
This is an example of an ‘aisled hall’. There would usually be two of these parallel to each other.
There are three main shapes of villas; the winged corridor, the courtyard and the aisled villa (as shown above). These styles were occasionally mixed together in the same building. Chedworth villa is a courtyard villa with extra wings. Villas that have a similar shape are: Gadebridge Park and Bignor (both have winged corridors and a courtyard). Villas that have a different shape are: Lullingstone (has a winged corridor, which extends inwards), North Leigh (courtyard villa) and Bancroft (is a lot smaller than Chedworth and has a winged corridor). Although there are a lot of villas that have different plans to Chedworth, that’s because Chedworth is a mixture of two villa types. Most villas either have winged corridors or a courtyard plan. It is clear to see that the family at Chedworth tried to adapt to the Roman way of life, and Chedworth is a classic Roman villa.
Bignor Villa
Gadebridge Park Villa
Lullingstone Villa (as it may have looked in the late 4th century, before its final phase
Most villas in Roman Britain were built between 150-200AD. H.H Scullard states that the reason for this was, “Villa life flourished in the period 150-200 partly because the towns newly created by Rome brought into being fresh markets for agricultural produce.” After a period of decline in most cases, there were usually large developments at the end of the third century and during the fourth. This was due to an increase in prosperity across Roman Britain. Chedworth villa was built around 120AD and developed between 260AD and the late fourth century. Villas that were built or developed around the same time as Chedworth are: Lullingstone (developed in the late third century), North Leigh (built in the early second century), Bignor (developed in the late third and early fourth centuries) and Bancroft (built at the same time). Villas that have differences with Chedworth in the times that they were built and developed are: Gadebridge Park (was created in 300AD and demolished by 350AD), North Leigh (developed in the mid second century, not the end of the third century) and Bignor (built slightly before Chedworth, at the end of the first century). The development of Chedworth is typical because it follows the same path as that of most Roman villas. There are slight differences in certain villas in terms of building and development, but it is these villas that are atypical, not Chedworth.
The people living at Chedworth lived a very comfortable lifestyle with luxury features incorporated within the villa. There are remains of very good quality mosaics throughout the villa, even in the corridors. These have noticeably been made in Corinium. There is evidence of column and channel hypocausts, although these were not in every room. There are two bath suites, both of which including hot/cold rooms and hot/cold baths. There is a latrine (toilet) behind the kitchen and a Nymphaeum (shrine to a water goddess) located at the villa’s natural water source. Like Chedworth, there is evidence of mosaics at Lullingstone, North Leigh (even in the corridors), Bignor and Bancroft. There is evidence of hypocausts at North Leigh (although there are only channel hypocausts) and Bignor. Gadebridge Park also has an elaborate bathhouse, although unlike Chedworth it has a swimming pool too. Like Chedworth, other villas with more than one bathhouse are North Leigh and Bancroft. Bignor has only one bathhouse. There is no evidence of latrines at any of the other villas studied. Lullingstone is the only other villa found to have a shrine with water nymphs, after it became Christian late on. Chedworth has a mixture of typical and atypical features. The mosaics, hypocausts and bathhouses are typical, although perhaps more elaborate than at other villas. The latrine is atypical, as none of the other villas have evidence of having one. The shrine is atypical as it is only evident at one other villa, perhaps suggesting that the two villas shared the same religion or purpose.
In Latin, the word villa means, “farm”, so in Roman times a villa was a farmhouse built in a Roman style. Although, as H.H Scullard points out, villas were often owned by the richer, upper classes, “Villas ranged from the luxurious mansion to the small working farm house.” Villas that followed the classic agricultural purpose are North Leigh, Bancroft and Bignor. It is not clear what purpose Lullingstone had, although it could have had many purposes as there is evidence of more than one family living there due to the stages of development. Gadebridge Park had an atypical purpose. Due to the villa’s growth and its large swimming pool, which was clearly the villa’s primary feature, it is thought that the settlement was operating as a commercial spa. Although it is possible that Chedworth was used for farming, there is a suspicion among historians that it was a site for pilgrims. This is due to the impressive garden shrine or nymphaeum in the North West corner and the nearby temple. Guy De La Bedoyere (‘The Buildings of Roman Britain’) describes Chedworth: “Inscriptions and altars apparently representing Lenus-Mars, a Romano-Celtic version of Mars as a healing god, suggest that if it was a hostelry for a shrine, then Lenus-Mars was the subject of attention.” One room contained a large number of coins. These could have been fees from pilgrims who wished to use the villa’s facilities. There is a large collection of statues and altars, all of a religious nature and involving five or more different Gods. If Chedworth was used as a pilgrimage site, it would explain why there is two of everything in the villa, one set of rooms would be used by the family, and the other set by pilgrims. There are no other villas with similar purposes to Chedworth, making it atypical.
‘Is Chedworth a typical Roman Villa?’ This is a very difficult question to answer. Chedworth has elements of it that follow that of a usual Roman villa such as its location, stages of development and plan (although this wasn’t entirely typical, but had typical features). Certain villa features were classic, such as its mosaics, hypocausts and bathhouses (although even these were far more elaborate than most other villas.). The villa also had unusual features, like its latrine and shrine. The purpose of Chedworth villa as a pilgrimage site is atypical, although there is no proof that this is the actual purpose, it is only an idea. I don’t think that there is such thing as a ‘typical Roman Villa’ as each villa is unique and has its own character. There are similarities and differences between each Roman Villa meaning that a ‘typical’ villa is hard to find. Chedworth is typical on the basis that a typical Roman Villa is exclusive and one of a kind.
