Lockleys Roman Villa facts for kids

Lockleys Roman Villa was once a large Roman farmhouse. It stood near Welwyn, in Hertfordshire, England. Archaeologists dug up the site in 1937. This villa is one of two Roman villas found near Welwyn. The other is called Dicket Mead.

The archaeologists found five different building stages. These stages show how the farmhouse grew over many years. It was used from the 1st century AD to the 4th century AD.

Early Days of the Villa

The very first building was a round hut. It was about 4 meters (13 feet) wide. This hut was built in the 1st century AD.

After the hut, there was a thick layer of soil. This suggests another building was there. It was likely made of wood. No stone parts of this building were found.

Building in Stone

Around AD 60-70, the house was rebuilt. This time, it was made of stone. It faced North-South. The house had three main rooms in a row. It also had two smaller rooms on its north side.

Around AD 150, the villa became much bigger. A long porch, called a veranda, was added. It was on the west side of the house. Extra rooms were built at each end of this veranda.

Sadly, the floors of the rooms were not saved. This was due to farming over the years. It made it hard for archaeologists to find items. These items would have helped them date the floors.

Fire and Rebuilding

In the early 4th century, a fire damaged the building. After the fire, the house was left empty for a while.

Around AD 330, a new villa was built. It did not use the old walls. Only parts of this new house were found. It was a square building with several rooms. It was built over the south end of the older structures.

By the end of the 4th century, the villa was left empty for good.

Conservation

Today, you cannot see any parts of the villa. The site is protected by law. It was made a scheduled monument in 1997.