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A recent geophysical survey in Margam Country Park, near Port Talbot in South Wales, has revealed the clear outline of a large Roman villa.
The building’s footprint was identified during a geophysical survey carried out as part of the ArchaeoMargam project: a collaboration between Swansea University’s Centre for Heritage Research and Training (CHART), Neath Port Talbot Council, and Margam Abbey Church, which is working to illuminate Margam’s pre-industrial heritage.
During this initiative, magnetometry and GPR surveys (carried out by TerraDat) revealed clear structural remains within surrounding ditches (below). Interpretation of the results suggests a villa with six main rooms and a veranda in the front, and two corridors leading to eight more rooms at the back. This arrangement measures 43m (141ft) long and covers an area of 572m2 (684 square yards), making it the largest villa yet discovered in Wales. It is surrounded by a 43m (141ft) by 55m (180ft) ditched enclosure, which may reflect the remains of an earlier Iron Age defended settlement, as has been seen on other Roman villa sites across Britain. South-east of the villa is a substantial aisled building, which could be a large agricultural storage building or meeting house.
This discovery helps fill in some of the gaps in our knowledge of the Romano-British period in this part of Wales. While diverse archaeological remains have been documented in and around the park – including an Iron Age hillfort, the remains of a 12th-century abbey, and a Victorian castle – little from the Roman period had been found until now.
It is believed that the villa may be exceptionally well-preserved, as it lies beneath a historical deer park and hence has not been subject to much ploughing over the centuries. Pending the availability of funding, it is hoped that excavation will shed more light on its remains in the future.
Text: Kathryn Krakowka / Image: TerraDat
