Rossett's Roman Villa

Available for over a year

Adam Walton investigates an archaeological dig in Rossett, where the first confirmed Roman villa in North Wales has been uncovered. Its discovery is reshaping our understanding of life in the region, suggesting that Roman wealth, villas and settlements extended further into Wales than previously believed. Senior Lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Chester, Dr Caroline Pudney, gives us the tour of the site. Local Detectorist, Robert Jones, tells us about his discovery of a rare 2,000-year-old lead ingot, which first revealed the villa complex in the first place. Soil Physicist, Dr David Jordan, explains how the team were able to detect the villa structure using technology. Former Archaeologist and Heritage Services Manager at Wrexham Council, Steve Grenter, showed us around the second trench, believed to be a Roman bathhouse. Volunteers, Katie Tooher and Chris Robson-Smith, share their enthusiasm for community-led archaeology. Plus, Harriet Tatton from DigVentures describes the power of crowdfunded and crowdsourced archaeological excavation. Produced by Stuart Russell.