Building a Roman villa at The Newt learn more at Frome Society’s next lecture

The Frome Society’s programme of lectures continues on Saturday 11th January with a talk by Nicola du Pisanie, Joe Silver and Matt Gower on building an exact replica of a Roman villa at The Newt.

Nicola is a founding director of Stonewood Design, an architectural practice based in Corsham. Joe and Matt are associates. The practice has been in existence for 15 years and recent projects include the construction of the Roman Villa Museum and the Story of Gardening Museum at The Newt garden near Bruton, both of which have received RIBA awards.

The foundations of a Roman villa were first discovered in 1832 and excavated between 1968 and 1970, revealing structural remains and part of a mosaic floor, as well as pottery and coins. Further excavations in 2015 revealed the true extent of a substantial villa that had been built, adapted and enlarged over 200 years from the 3rd to the 5th centuries AD.

A full-scale reconstruction of that villa has been built nearby, and a new museum illustrating Roman life has been built over part of the original villa foundations.

Organiser of the lectures, John Peverley, said, “Nicola, Joe and Matt, who designed both buildings, will tell us of the firm’s detailed research into Roman building techniques, including mosaic floors, frescoed walls, tiled and thatched roofs and underfloor hypocaust heating, as well as the problems they encountered in finding craftspeople with the skills to re-create a complete Roman villa.

“If you ever wanted to know how to build yourself a Roman villa, now will be the time to find out.”

Frome Society’s lectures take place in the Assembly Rooms at the rear of Frome Memorial Theatre (BA11 1EB), starting at 2.30pm. Visitors are welcome but are asked to pay an entry fee of £5.