Extension and re-build.
During the late 3rd C. the west leg of the 2nd C. ditch, and the adjacent parts of the north and south legs, were deliberately filled, the remaining sections were left to fill naturally, see pictures above.
As the enclosure was now redundant, it was replaced with a walled enclosure now enclosing a much larger area of circa 3600 square metres..
The filling of the ditch sections, and the enlarged enclosure, provided circumstantial evidence that the villa may have been extended to the west.
Firm evidence of these extensions only came about in 2010, when a watching brief was carried out in the churchyard, see page "Watching Brief".
Sometime after 340 AD. the original 2nd C. villa and wing were demolished and rebuilt in stone, this is a period when the British villas reached their peak, the picture below shows how, due to subsidence, the north wall of the apse ( to the right) is moved to sit partly on the old foundations, and partly on a new foundation running alongside the old.
The Opus-signinum floor is now laid over the old foundations, and up to the new wall line.
The top surviving stonework, to the left of the apse, is part of the new structure.
The two sets of three stake holes at the apex of the apse, are cut into the lower stonework, it shows these intrusions are post demolition/robbing of the wing, there was no dating material in the fill of these features.
As the enclosure was now redundant, it was replaced with a walled enclosure now enclosing a much larger area of circa 3600 square metres..
The filling of the ditch sections, and the enlarged enclosure, provided circumstantial evidence that the villa may have been extended to the west.
Firm evidence of these extensions only came about in 2010, when a watching brief was carried out in the churchyard, see page "Watching Brief".
Sometime after 340 AD. the original 2nd C. villa and wing were demolished and rebuilt in stone, this is a period when the British villas reached their peak, the picture below shows how, due to subsidence, the north wall of the apse ( to the right) is moved to sit partly on the old foundations, and partly on a new foundation running alongside the old.
The Opus-signinum floor is now laid over the old foundations, and up to the new wall line.
The top surviving stonework, to the left of the apse, is part of the new structure.
The two sets of three stake holes at the apex of the apse, are cut into the lower stonework, it shows these intrusions are post demolition/robbing of the wing, there was no dating material in the fill of these features.