A Roman Bath House and Edwardian Folly - Whitestaunton Manor, Somerset
Episode 2 · 2004-01-11
- Documentary
- Mystery
Episode overview
Next to the beautifully manicured lawns of Whitestaunton Manor in the Blackdown Hills of Somerset lies a patch of muddy weeds. Coins and pottery have been found here, and it is supposedly the site of a Roman villa. But archaeology student Freya Bowles thinks differently. The team first have to remove weeds and tree roots without the use of mechanical diggers, as it's a scheduled monument. They are also extremely limited as to the size of the excavation. Clearly there are Roman remains, but mixed up with Victorian or Edwardian garden features. Gradually the plan of a Roman bath house emerges. The team are joined by mosaic specialist David Neal and buildings historian Jonathan Foyle. Directed by technological historian Robert Spain, they build a full-size replica hypocaust complete with under-floor heating.
50 minutes
Season 11 episodes
1. In Search of the Brigittine Abbey - Syon House, London2004-01-04
2. A Roman Bath House and Edwardian Folly - Whitestaunton Manor, Somerset2004-01-11
3. The Crannog in the Loch - Loch Migdale, Scottish Highlands2004-01-18
4. Saxon Burials on the Ridge - South Carlton, Lincolnshire2004-01-25
5. The Roman Fort That Wasn't There - Syndale, Kent2004-02-01
6. An Iron-Age Trading Centre - Green Island, Dorset2004-02-08
7. A Medieval Blast Furnace - The Old Furnace, Oakamoor, Staffordshire2004-02-15
8. Rescuing a Mesolithic Foreshore - Goldcliff, Newport2004-02-22
9. Fertile Soils, Rich Archaeology - Wittenham Clumps, Oxfordshire2004-02-29
10. King Cnut's Manor - Nassington, Northamptonshire2004-03-07
11. Back-Garden Archaeology: Revisiting a Roman Villa - Ipswich, Suffolk2004-03-14
12. The Lost City of Roxburgh - Roxburgh, Scottish Borders2004-03-21
13. Brimming with Remains - Cranborne Chase, Dorset2004-03-28
