The excavation of the Roman villa in Gadebridge Park, Hemel Hempstead, 1963-8

• Main Author: Neal, David S. (auth)
• Format: Electronic Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: London Society of Antiquaries of London 1974
• Series: Reports of the Research Committee of the Society of Antiquaries of London XXXI
• Subjects: Landscape archaeology; Archaeology by period / region; Classical Greek & Roman archaeology; Excavation; archaeology; Roman; villa; bath-house; pottery
• Online Access: OAPEN Library: download the publication; OAPEN Library: description of the publication

This is an account of excavations of the Roman villa in Gadebridge Park, Hemel Hempstead, which took place in 1963-8. It describes the history of a villa from its simple beginnings in the first century A.D. to its heyday in the fourth century when the owner could boast one of the largest villa bath houses and a bathing pool comparable in size to the Great Bath at Bath. In the mid-fourth century disaster struck. The coin evidence shows that the villa came to an abrupt end and that in or about A.D. 353 it may have been demolished as a result of reprisals against the owner for his support of the rebellion by Magnentius.