THE NEWT IN SOMERSET UNVEILS – VILLA VENTORUM
June 9thUK
This summer, The Newt in Somerset reveals a pioneering new archaeological and educational experience – the extensive reconstruction of a Romano-British Villa found on the estate, dating back to AD351. It will open alongside an innovative visitors’ centre and interactive museum, carefully positioned over the original villa’s foundations and remains.
Villa Ventorum, ‘Villa of The Winds’, has been brought back to life by an expert team of archaeologists, architects, engineers and skilled craftsmen, over a period of seven years. The most ambitious reconstruction of a Roman Villa ever undertaken in Britain, both the Villa and Museum will open to members of the public, offering an educational and immersive experience of life in Roman Somerset. The site of the villa itself, including accommodation, kitchens and a working complex of roman baths, is laid out in a T-shaped plan, 56 metres wide and 22 metres long and in addition, features a vineyard garden, ponds and surrounding field spanning to approximately 10.5 acres.
The result is a historical reimagining, where visitors will be able to step back in time, experiencing the sensory world of a Romano-British household – including the sounds, smells, and sights of daily rituals, staying true to archaeological evidence. The guest experience will begin at the innovative new museum presenting the archaeological findings, sensitively preserved through an engaging use of technology and interactive elements.
UNCOVERING THE PAST
Recreating the Roman Villa is part of The Newt in Somerset’s wider ambition to honour and revive the 1000-acre estate for generations to come. Villa Ventorum has been sensitively restored to the landscape it occupied nearly 1,600 years ago. The scale of this project has revealed that there is limited knowledge about Roman Britain and has provided a unique opportunity to delve further into this era.
The first recorded evidence of the Roman Villa was in 1834, when labourers working at Cattle Hill in the Southwest side of The Newt estate, or Hadspen as it was then known, discovered Roman artefacts including coins from the rein of Emperor Constantius II’s AD337 – 61 and the remains of a Roman building. The villa was discovered in a field locally known as Blacklands, due to the darker soil resulting from centuries of human occupation and build-up of organic materials.
The site was occupied in the Iron Age through to early Roman times, developing into a grand Roman villa inhabited by a member of the ruling gentry class by the mid 3rd Century. The discovery of a rare crossbow style brooch on the site suggests an association with a high-ranking public figure., such as a magistrate. Substantial parts of mosaics have also been uncovered, including a depiction of Diana, the Roman Goddess of animals and hunting in the main reception room (tablinum) and Bacchus the God of Wine in the dining room (triclinium), reinforcing the wealth of its erstwhile inhabitants.
REIMAGINING LIFE IN ROMAN BRITAIN
The aim of this project has been to reimagine the lives of a Romano-British household – giving the visitor an unprecedented insight into the varied lives of its former inhabitants – from the head of the family to the lowest slave, in an extremely hierarchical society of the time.
The modern excavations were carried out by Oxford Archaeology and Wessex Archaeology. South West Heritage Trust were the estate’s advisers on archaeological evidence and accurate reconstruction, working closely with Stonewood Design, as well as in-house Estate Architect, Katie Lewis for the interpretation elements. Traditional construction materials and techniques have been used throughout, including the creation of interior decorations, fittings and furnishings.
Recreating an entire Roman Villa with only fragments of the original source has been a huge feat. Examples of restored British Roman Villas are extremely rare and finding tradespeople with the right skills has been a challenge to achieve historical accuracy. The architects for the project, Stonewood Design, and building contractor, Stonewood Builders, describe the task as a unique undertaking – creating designs that would meet the expectations of historians, archaeologists and ultimately, members of the public.
The reconstruction has involved constant experimentation across all trades to follow the Roman techniques, including mixing clay for wattle and daub walls, laying rammed earth floors and painting frescoes. A key element of the design, intricate mosaics and frescoes adorn the walls and floors throughout. The traditional method, known as Buon Fresco, involves painting directly onto wet plaster, a skill very few people have the knowledge to undertake. The Newt brought in a specialist team of conservators from Italy, led by Daniella Murphy Corella and Alberto Felici, to create two frescoes – in the tepidarium and caldarium, which are spaces within the private baths. Reviving the ancient Roman technique of hypocaust heating within the bathhouse was also an extremely complicated task.
The Villa Ventorum gardens have been meticulously researched by Somerset based landscape designers Urquhart & Hunt, who recently received the ‘Best in Show’ Award at RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Working alongside plant historian Maggie Campbell Culver and archaeologists South West Heritage Trust, they only used plants that have been found in Roman Britain sites dating back to AD350 in the garden schemes, which include: a pergola garden dedicated to the Goddess Luna; water ponds; a Roman style planted flower meadow; vineyards; orchards under which are sown herb meadows for bees; ancient variety fruit trees; a medicinal garden; a kitchen garden; and a lavender and myrtle topiary garden. Planted close to the villa in their natural forms are sweet chestnut and hawthorn, and there is a stunning wall-grown fig against a sun-baked wall.
THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE TODAY
The visitor experience of Villa Ventorum and the museum are designed to appeal to all age groups and levels of interest. Exhibition designers Kossmandejong, who also created the narrative spaces at The Newt’s Beezantium and The Story of Gardening, were the creative minds behind the museum exhibition itself.
An audio tour will be available to guests, as they move through each space to explain the different elements and historic significance. A dedicated children’s tour will include an interactive treasure hunt. There will be a number of hands-on games and interactive elements including smart screens, where guests can delve deeper into information. VR technology will be available to enable guests to experience a day in the life of the Roman Villa, brought further to life by members of the team appearing in period costume. At the end of their visit, visitors can experience an authentic taste of Roman style street food, using ingredients and flavours common to the period and region – such as mensae-style flatbread, topped with estate lamb braised in wine and sweetened with honey.
HOW The Roman Villa Experience is included in Newt Membership, which is priced at £68 per adult, with children (0-16 years) free of charge when accompanied by an adult member. Members can also bring up to six visitors per day on a Member’s Day Pass, priced at £18pp. Newt Membership entitles guests to 12 months’ unlimited access to the gardens, woodland and Deer Park, The Story of Gardening, Beezantium, garden eateries, Farm Shop and House & Garden Shop. Membership comes with free twice-daily Garden Tours and twice-weekly Woodland Tours, an annual programme of workshops and events, digital newsletters, free nationwide delivery of e-commerce products and exclusive member offersand treats. Membership is included for hotel guests. thenewtinsomerset.com
The tour will take a minimum of 2.5 hrs
Summer: 10.00am-5.00pm (last entry 3.20pm)
Winter: 10.20am-3.30pm (last entry 1.40pm)
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Key Information:
Location: The Newt in Somerset, Bruton, Somerset, BA7 7NG
Website: www.thenewtinsomerset.com
|Telephone: (+44) 1963 577777
Facebook / Instagram: @thenewtinsomerset
Twitter: @thenewtsomerset
About The Newt in Somerset:
The Newt in Somerset is a working country estate in Somerset, between the towns of Bruton and Castle Cary. The original Georgian manor house and farm buildings sit amidst farmland, woodland, orchards and acres of gardens – shaped over centuries by successive enthusiasts, including renowned garden designer and writer Penelope Hobhouse, who first opened them to the public in the mid 1980s. The gardens’ latest incarnation was designed by landscape artist Patrice Taravella. Influenced by thousands of years of horticultural history, mixing ornamental and productive elements, they are a feast for the eyes and the stomach.
With a focus on Somerset heritage, sustainable agriculture and artisan production, the estate encompasses a luxury hotel and spa within Hadspen House and the Farmyard, designed by Karen Roos, in addition to restaurants, farm shops, immersive garden attractions and a Cyder Press & Cellar.
-ENDS-
For further information, please contact:
Perowne International:
[email protected] / +44 (0)20 7078 0295
The Newt Head of Communications, Jessica Parkhouse:
[email protected] / +44 (0)1963 577777