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The Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany, Aubrey Burl

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<< Our Photo Pages >> Chedworth Villa Nymphaeum - Holy Well or Sacred Spring in England in Gloucestershire

Submitted by rogerkread on Thursday, 11 January 2024  Page Views: 4432

Springs and Holy WellsSite Name: Chedworth Villa Nymphaeum
Country: England County: Gloucestershire Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring
Nearest Town: Cirencester  Nearest Village: Chedworth
Map Ref: SP052135
Latitude: 51.820102N  Longitude: 1.925962W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
4 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
4 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
5 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
4

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Chedworth Villa Nymphaeum
Chedworth Villa Nymphaeum submitted by Dodomad : Excavations at Chedworth villa in Gloucestershire have provided striking evidence of its inhabitants enjoying life in the style of high-status Romans, long after the traditional end of imperial occupation in this country. Recent radiocarbon dating of materials excavated at Chedworth Roman villa in Gloucestershire suggests that this mosaic may have been laid after AD 424 which would make it Britain... (Vote or comment on this photo)
The Nymphaeum or water shrine at Chedworth Roman Villa (NT) in Gloucestershire. Likely to have been a pre-existing spring with associated divinities before the Romans arrived, and the reason for the siting of the villa. Now two 5th-6th century radiocarbon dates give the mid range date for the mosaic’s construction would be AD 475-495, so two to three generations beyond the time we previously thought people occupied villas in style.
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Chedworth Villa Nymphaeum
Chedworth Villa Nymphaeum submitted by AngieLake : A sketch of the woodland walk for the benefit of walkers shows the position of the Nymphaeum in the complex. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Chedworth Villa Nymphaeum
Chedworth Villa Nymphaeum submitted by AngieLake : An artist's interpretation of how the nymphaeum would have appeared in Roman times. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Chedworth Villa Nymphaeum
Chedworth Villa Nymphaeum submitted by AngieLake : A handheld info board at the site. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Chedworth Villa Nymphaeum
Chedworth Villa Nymphaeum submitted by AngieLake : Looking down over the nymphaeum from the woodland walk above it. The NE wall is seen to lower left, and the north range of Roman remains centre. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Chedworth Villa Nymphaeum
Chedworth Villa Nymphaeum submitted by AngieLake : The nymphaeum is at the top of a sloping path, enjoying a tucked-away position to the NW of the villa complex.

Chedworth Villa Nymphaeum
Chedworth Villa Nymphaeum submitted by AngieLake : The peaceful ambience is probably helped by the proximity to woodland.

Chedworth Villa Nymphaeum
Chedworth Villa Nymphaeum submitted by AngieLake : There is still a special ambience to this quiet area of Chedworth villa's grounds.

Chedworth Villa Nymphaeum
Chedworth Villa Nymphaeum submitted by AngieLake : A happy chaffinch was bathing in the running water on 21st May.

Chedworth Villa Nymphaeum
Chedworth Villa Nymphaeum submitted by AngieLake : Looking across the interior towards the channel that brings the spring water into the Nymphaem's pool.

Chedworth Villa Nymphaeum
Chedworth Villa Nymphaeum submitted by AngieLake : Sign by the Nymphaeum at Chedworth.

Chedworth Villa Nymphaeum
Chedworth Villa Nymphaeum submitted by rogerkread : The spring and well, tended with care at the NW corner of the National Trust site.

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 440m NNW 348° Round barrow N of Chedworth Roman villa* Round Barrow(s) (SP0511013931)
 1.4km S 176° Chedworth spring* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SP053121)
 1.8km SE 131° Royal Oak* Round Barrow(s) (SP066123)
 1.9km SE 129° Woodbarrow (Glos)* Chambered Tomb (SP067123)
 2.2km WNW 289° Withington Woods Chambered Tomb (SP031142)
 2.3km N 352° Sales Lot Chambered Cairn (SP04871578)
 2.8km WNW 289° Withington Woods Cross Dyke* Misc. Earthwork (SP025144)
 3.0km SSW 194° Pinkwell (Chedworth)* Chambered Cairn (SP045106)
 3.0km SW 236° Shawswell Farm Long Barrow* Long Barrow (SP027118)
 3.3km WSW 257° Monument Number 327710* Artificial Mound (SP0193712749)
 3.8km ENE 65° Hangman's Stone (Northleach)* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SP087151)
 4.2km NE 55° Furzenhill Barn* Chambered Tomb (SP086159)
 4.2km NE 52° Cheltenham Road Plantation* Chambered Cairn (SP085161)
 4.9km S 188° Calmsden spring* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SP04540863)
 5.2km ESE 109° Crickley Barrow Chambered Tomb (SP101118)
 5.3km SSE 163° Colnpen* Chambered Tomb (SP068084)
 5.7km NNE 21° Hazleton South* Chambered Tomb (SP072188)
 5.8km NNE 21° Hazleton North* Chambered Tomb (SP073189)
 5.8km ENE 63° Burn Ground* Chambered Cairn (SP104161)
 6.2km SW 226° North Cerney 2* Round Barrow(s) (SP00790919)
 6.2km NNE 15° Penhill Farm Bowl Barrow* Round Barrow(s) (SP06761954)
 6.4km WNW 283° Norbury Hillfort (Colesbourne)* Hillfort (SO989149)
 6.8km SW 220° North Cerney Cursus Cursus (SP00800834)
 6.9km SSW 209° North Cerney 1* Chambered Tomb (SP01840752)
 6.9km SE 126° Lamborough Banks* Chambered Cairn (SP10760942)
View more nearby sites and additional images

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"Chedworth Villa Nymphaeum" | Login/Create an Account | 5 News and Comments
  
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Re: Britain’s first 5th-century mosaic identified? by Andy B on Thursday, 11 January 2024
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Martin Papworth writes: in 2017… it was a complete surprise to get the radiocarbon date from the charcoal of AD 424-544 at 95% probability. If you follow the stratigraphic argument and examine the drawing … there was no obvious way that the charcoal could get into the filling after the wall was built ……which the floors abutted…..

Therefore…. the mosaic was constructed….at the very earliest… 14 years after Roman rule ended in Britain. ‘That can’t be right’ said Alice

Yes…that’s what everyone said…. I’d only bumped into this date by mistake… I had to go back to get some more evidence … so six years later I have.

I drag the next image onto the screen. Our next new date AD 414-549 and our third date AD 420-560. ‘And the OSL dating? Did you get a result from that ?’

That result was less clear-cut unfortunately… but Prof. Phil Toms at Gloucestershire University found a few quartzite grains within the sample that gave emissions of c. AD 400 and he concluded that the OSL result backed up the C14…. so, the mosaic had to have been constructed from the 5th century.

‘This changes our perception of the early medieval period! If the people at Chedworth could commission a new mosaic after Roman rule in Britain ceased… then we are looking at a market economy, functioning towns, craft workshops and industry, wealthy people doing up their stylish homes in the countryside’

Putting these 5th-6th century C14 dates together, the mid range date for the mosaic’s construction would be AD 475-495 ….so two to three generations beyond the time when we thought people occupied villas in style.
More at archaeologynationaltrustsw.wordpress.com/2024/01/06/d-4-b-the-new-chedworth-villa-dating/
[ Reply to This ]
    Re: Britain’s first 5th-century mosaic identified? by Arjessa on Tuesday, 16 January 2024
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    I found this quite fascinating, but then if you think about the Roman Military and Heads of State all pulling out of Britannia, yes, they would have left, but there would also have been many who stayed; those that had retired to their Villas and perhaps a few soldiers who had families, illegally, and so absconded?? There could be many exceptions . . .
    [ Reply to This ]

Britain’s first 5th-century mosaic identified? by Andy B on Thursday, 11 January 2024
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New dating evidence from Chedworth Roman Villa in Gloucestershire may have identified Britain’s first-known 5th-century mosaic, researchers have announced.

Founded in the 2nd century and reaching its zenith 200 years later, the Cotswold site is one of the country’s largest and best-preserved Roman villas. Over the years, excavations have uncovered the remains of 35 rooms, some adorned with elaborate mosaic floors (see CA 284).

It was traditionally thought that, following the economic crash that rocked the Roman Empire at the end of the 4th century, towns and villas in Britain were largely abandoned and fell into decay. The findings from Chedworth suggest that not only did high-status occupation continue at the villa beyond this date, but that its owners were still investing in the decor.

The discovery came as part of the North Range Project, a six-year programme of excavation and research by National Trust archaeologists at Chedworth (CA 305). During this work, the team investigated Room 28, which is home to an intricate mosaic with a border formed from a series of circles in guilloche (a decorative motif that looks like braided ribbon – here the interweaving strands were picked out in red, blue, and white tesserae), filled with images of flowers and woven knots. They found that the room had been created by subdividing an earlier space – and, crucially, the foundation trench of this partition wall contained charcoal, animal bone, and a single sherd of pottery.

The charcoal and animal bone have now been radiocarbon dated, yielding dates of AD 424-544 (95.4% probability) and AD 337-432 (87% probability) respectively. This suggests that the wall, and therefore the mosaic that was installed in the new space, were created after AD 424. Analysis of the pottery fragment revealed it to be Late Roman Shelly Ware, which was produced after AD 360.
Read more at: archaeology.co.uk/articles/news/britains-first-5th-century-mosaic-identified.htm
[ Reply to This ]
    The case for Chedworth villa: exploring evidence for 5th-century occupation by Andy B on Thursday, 11 January 2024
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    Excavations at Chedworth villa in Gloucestershire have provided striking evidence of its inhabitants enjoying life in the style of high-status Romans, long after the traditional end of imperial occupation in this country – including what might be Britain’s first 5th-century mosaic. Martin Papworth reports.
    the-past.com/feature/the-case-for-chedworth-villa-exploring-evidence-for-5th-century-occupation/
    [ Reply to This ]
    Back to Chedworth and the 5th century mosaic of Room 28 by Andy B on Thursday, 11 January 2024
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    Martin Papworth writes: Back in 2017, I took radiocarbon samples from foundation trenches of some of the walls in the North Range of Chedworth Roman Villa. This was to try to work out how the villa developed and expanded during the 2nd to 4th centuries.

    The surprise came when an inserted wall forming the boundary between Rooms 27 and Rooms 28 turned out to have a construction date ranging from AD 424 to AD 544 at 95% probability. Proof that building work was taking place at Chedworth after Britain had left the Roman Empire.

    Following the publication of the Chedworth radiocarbon date, Professor Ken Dark and Dr Petra Dark contacted the National Trust and shared their research on other villas where late occupation was strongly indicated.

    This launched the ‘Chedworth in Context’ project. Archives across the West Country from past villa and town excavations will be visited and samples collected from stratigraphically sealed late contexts.

    By the end of the project we hope to have a list of radiocarbon dates that show that Chedworth was not alone. We are hoping to build on the growing evidence that towns and villas continued a Romanised lifestyle for generations after Britannia left the Empire.
    More at archaeologynationaltrustsw.wordpress.com/2023/05/28/back-to-chedworth-and-the-5th-century-mosaic-of-room-28/
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