£249,000 Lottery-funded project for excavation and preservation
The remains of a Roman villa, buried under farmland near Tiverton, are to be excavated and preserved. The project is receiving a £249,000 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Preliminary excavations at the site in Halberton uncovered mosaic floors – and there is evidence the building had underfloor heating.
The historic site was originally identified by a metal detectorist back in 2004. Since then, mosaic tiles and roofing slates have been found in small-scale explorations by local archaeology groups.
A geophysical survey commissioned by Devon County Council found evidence of enclosures and what looked like buildings at the site.
Further excavations and surveys, including one conducted by an Exeter University PhD student, revealed the presence of the mosaics.
A five-year project has now been launched to unearth the full story of the villa and offer a full programme of community involvement and volunteering.
The SHARE project – Saving Halberton’s Ancient Roman Environment – is being led by archaeologists at the University of Exeter, in partnership with Devon County Council, Tiverton Archaeology Group and the Sampford Peverell Society.
‘We’re delighted to support this exciting project to uncover and preserve such a rare piece of Roman history in Devon,’ says Stuart McLeod, Director of England – London & South at The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
‘Thanks to National Lottery players, SHARE will not only safeguard these remarkable mosaics and the villa’s story but also create opportunities for local people to get involved, learn new skills and connect with the heritage on their doorstep.’
Mosaic at Tiverton site revealed in preliminary excavations in 2021. Image: AC Archaeology Ltd.
Early impressions of the Roman villa
‘A picture has emerged over time of a villa sitting within a wider complex, with two further possible buildings, an enclosure to the south, and possibly an earlier enclosure to the north-west,’ says Bill Horner, County Archaeologist.
‘Charcoal dating to the 4th century AD offers evidence of iron smelting at the end of the Roman era and possibly beyond.’
The villa itself measures 35 metres by 10 metres, with a ‘winged-corridor’ layout, and is believed to have been built between the mid-2nd and 4th Century AD.
‘This Roman villa, and its surrounding working areas, is an important site for understanding the ‘Romanisation’ of Devon,’ says project lead, Dr Susan Greaney, from Exeter University’s world-renowned Department of Archaeology and History.
‘Very few have been found in the county – this is just the fifth – so it’s important to record the details of the complex and recover the mosaics before they are inevitably damaged or lost as a result of the farming of the land.’
‘We are thrilled to have received this support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund which will allow us to fully investigate the villa.’
The first year of excavations will focus on the villa itself. The team will conduct an eight-week dig between May and July 2026.
During these months, they’ll record and lift the mosaic floors which’ll be preserved in Tiverton Museum of Mid-Devon Life – alongside the rest of the site finds and archives.
Over two subsequent years, attention will switch to the wider estate located on neighbouring land. All three digs will involve student archaeologists.
How to find out more – and get involved
The team will also create opportunities to volunteers and community groups, open days and an education programme.
‘These excavations will form the core of a five-year community project that will ‘SHARE’ the archaeological process with people in the local area who are not normally engaged in heritage, as well as piecing together the longer-term evolution of their landscape,’ says Dr Greaney.
‘We hope that we can fully realise the potential of this archaeological site, bringing people together and creating a sense of place and belonging, enhancing connection and wellbeing, and leaving a legacy of vibrant, active local societies, who will be confident to lead similar projects in future.’
An open evening will take place on Friday 20th February (from 7pm) for anyone interested in learning more about the planned excavation and getting involved as a volunteer – for which no experience is needed, as training will be given.
The event is being hosted by the Tiverton Archaeological Group in partnership with the University of Exeter, Devon County Council and the Sampford Peverell Society, and will be held at The Cherith Hall, Tiverton, EX16 4BZ.
There’ll be the chance to see a film of past excavation work at the site, along with pictures and plans of the villa’s remains and the surrounding land, and some of the Roman artefacts already found at the site.
Volunteers will be able to take part in the excavations, and local groups and schools will be able to participate in workshops, site visits and events.
For more information, visit the SHARE website.
Breaktime News recently reported on The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s announcement for £7.4m of funding for four historic churches, and former churches. The money’s to be used to secure their futures.
