Roman villas · South East England
Bignor Roman Villa
In or near Watersfield.
West Sussex Roman villa with the Medusa mosaic, in original thatch-roofed shelters.
mattbuck (category) — CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1 h–2 h
- Nearest railway station
- Amberley · 4.7 km
- Paid entry
- Dog-friendly
Getting there & planning your visit
To visit Bignor Roman Villa, the nearest railway station is Amberley, located 4.7 km away. Entry to the villa is free.
About
Bignor in West Sussex preserves some of the finest Roman mosaics in Britain — 4th-century floors of the Medusa, Venus and Ganymede still in situ under purpose-built thatched-roof viewing huts. Discovered 1811 by a ploughman; in private hands since.
Photo gallery
Summary from the official site
Bignor Roman Villa features the remains of a Roman home, showcasing exquisite mosaic floors and archaeological artifacts. Visitors can explore the site, which includes protective buildings for the archaeology and interactive events related to Roman history.
Read more on the official property page.
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: Duncton to Bignor Escarpment SSSI
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Bignor Roman Villa is a large Roman courtyard villa which has been excavated and put on public display on the Bignor estate in the English county of West Sussex. It is well known for its high quality mosaic floors, which are some of the most complete and intricate in the country. It is managed by the Bignor Roman Villa Charitable Trust, a registered charity.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
The existence of a Romano-British farmstead on the site by the end of the 1st century is indicated by finds, A four-roomed stone building was built in the middle of the 3rd century AD, and this was extended between c.240 and 290 AD by the addition of a few new rooms, a hypocaust, and a portico that faced east towards Stane Street. This building became the western wing when north and south wings were added at the turn of the fourth century. In its final form, the villa consisted of some sixty-five rooms surrounding a courtyard, with a number of outlying farm buildings. The latest phase of building involved additions to the north wing between c.300 and 350 AD, and it is here that most of the…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 50.9242, -0.5931
- County
- West Sussex
- District
- Chichester
- Parish
- Bury
- Postcode
- RH20 1PG
- Parliamentary constituency
- Arundel and South Downs
- Phone
- 01798 869259
- Established
- 350
- Nearest railway station
- Amberley — 4.7 km
- Opening
- Wednesday - Sunday 10am - 4.30pm; closed Monday and Tuesday; open daily in August 10am - 4.30pm
- Official site
- www.bignorromanvilla.co.uk
Sources
- manual: bignor-roman-villa (manual)
- wikipedia: Bignor Roman Villa (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Featured in these 2 guides
Other places nearby
Bignor Roman Villa
Archaeological sites · 0.2 km
Bignor
Museums · 0.6 km
The Parish Church of the Holy Cross
Historic churches · 0.7 km
Bignor Mill
Mills · 0.8 km
Toby Memorial
Memorials & monuments · 1.7 km
Bignor Hill
Mountains & hills · 1.8 km
Westburton Hill
Mountains & hills · 1.9 km
Barkhale Camp causewayed enclosure
Archaeological sites · 2.6 km
Neolithic Camp
Archaeological sites · 2.6 km
Bury Hill
Mountains & hills · 2.6 km
Watersfield
Towns & cities · 2.7 km
Farm Hill
Mountains & hills · 2.8 km
Nearby
📷 5Archaeological sites · South East England
Bignor Roman Villa
Bignor Roman Villa — archaeological in england south east.
📷 5Museums · South East England
Bignor
Bignor is a village and civil parish in the Chichester district of the English county of West Sussex, about six miles (9.7 km) north of Arundel. It is in the civil parish of Pulborough. The nearest ra
📷 5Historic churches · South East England
The Parish Church of the Holy Cross
The Parish Church of the Holy Cross — a Grade I-listed church in england-south-east, United Kingdom.
📷 5Mills · South East England
Bignor Mill
Bignor Mill — mill in Bignor, Chichester, West Sussex, England, UK.
📷 5Memorials & monuments · South East England
Toby Memorial
Toby Memorial — a memorial in england-south-east, United Kingdom.
📷 5Where to eat & stay near Bignor Roman Villa
Places to stay
📷 5📷 5
📷 5Campsites · South East England
Littleton Farm Campsite
Littleton Farm Campsite — a campsite in england south east.
📷 5Hostels · South East England
Southdowns Bunkhouse
Southdowns Bunkhouse — a hostel in england south east.
📷 5Campsites · South East England
North Stoke Farm Campsite
North Stoke Farm Campsite — a campsite in england south east.
📷 5Campsites · South East England
Woodfire Camping
Woodfire Camping — a campsite in england south east.
Places to eat & drink
📷 5Historic pubs · South East England
The White Hart
The White Hart — Historic pub — listed building or notable heritage status.
📷 5Historic pubs · South East England
The Foresters Public House
The Foresters Public House in England South East, United Kingdom.
📷 7Historic pubs · South East England
The Spur Public House
The Spur Public House in England South East, United Kingdom.
📷 5Historic pubs · South East England
The Black Rabbit Public House
The Black Rabbit Public House in England South East, United Kingdom.
📷 7Historic pubs · South East England
St Marys Gate Public House
St Marys Gate Public House in England South East, United Kingdom.
📷 5Historic pubs · South East England
The Victory Public House
The Victory Public House in England South East, United Kingdom.
Other places from this era
Flagship📷 10Roman villas · South East England
Lullingstone Roman Villa
Kent Roman villa with one of the earliest Christian house-churches in Britain.
★ Iconic📷 10Roman villas · South East England
Fishbourne Roman Palace
The largest Roman house north of the Alps — 1st-century, with the Cupid on a Dolphin mosaic.
★ Iconic📷 4Roman villas · South West England
Chedworth Roman Villa
One of Britain's largest Roman villas, Cotswold-set, with mosaics and bath-houses.
More places in this region
📷 5Roman villas · South East England
Roman Villa (Site of)
Roman Villa (Site of) — a roman villa in england-south-east, United Kingdom.
📷 5Roman villas · South East England
Site of Roman Villa
Site of Roman Villa — a roman villa in england-south-east, United Kingdom.
📷 5Roman villas · South East England
Warblington Roman Villa
Warblington Roman Villa — a roman villa in england-south-east, United Kingdom.
📷 5Roman villas · South East England
Newport Roman Villa
Newport Roman Villa — a roman villa in england-south-east, United Kingdom.
Frequently asked questions
- Where is Bignor Roman Villa?
- Bignor Roman Villa is in West Sussex, South-East England, United Kingdom (postcode RH20 1PG), in the parish of Bury.
- What is Bignor Roman Villa?
- West Sussex Roman villa with the Medusa mosaic, in original thatch-roofed shelters.
- How do I get to Bignor Roman Villa?
- The nearest railway station is Amberley, about 4.7 km away. Drivers can use postcode RH20 1PG.
- When was Bignor Roman Villa built?
- Built or established in 350.
- Is Bignor Roman Villa a protected site?
- Yes — Bignor Roman Villa is part of the Duncton to Bignor Escarpment SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest.
- Is Bignor Roman Villa free to visit?
- Yes, Bignor Roman Villa is free to enter.
- How do I get to Bignor Roman Villa?
- The nearest railway station is Amberley, about 4.7 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode RH20 1PG.