Grant helps Chedworth Roman Villa development

New walkways above the mosaics at Chedworth Roman Villa will go ahead thanks to a grant of £150,000 from the Gloucestershire Environmental Trust with landfill tax contributions donated by Cory Environmental.
 
The work is part of a £3m redevelopment to create new cover buildings to protect the unique mosaics and some of the other remains of the villa.
 
Work is continuing this summer, with the mosaics covered to protect them during building. They are due to go back on display in March next year with still more to be uncovered by archaeologists.
 
The grant from the Gloucestershire Environmental Trust will pay for walkways above the mosaics at the villa and allow visitors to see them close up in a way not possible before.
 
The National Trust’s project to conserve the villa - one of the most significant domestic Roman sites in the UK – involves creating a new environmentally-controlled conservation shelter over the mosaics in the west range, to replace old Victorian sheds. To ensure Chedworth provides a good quality day out for its 50,000 annual visitors, plans also include a café and education centre.
 
“We are very grateful to the Trust for their grant which will ensure the mosaics can be seen close up by our visitors who will be able to walk just above them,” explained Pippa Wise, Chedworth Programme Officer. “Unfortunately the mosaics, including the ones uncovered last summer, won’t be on display this year because they have been protected to keep them safe during the building work but they will be spectacular when seen under the new building next year.”
 
“In the summer of 2012 the final section of corridor mosaic will be excavated and reveal one of the longest corridor mosaics in England.”
 
Visitors to Chedworth this year will still be able to see the north bath-house, water-shrine and the unique underfloor heating system. There will also be site tours to explain the building work in progress and a behind the scenes exhibition.
 
Other funding for the Chedworth Roman Villa project includes a £700,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and generous donations from the Garfield Weston Foundation, the Summerfield Charitable Trust, the Roman Research Trust and the Kinsurdy Trust together with support from individual donors who have sponsored protective winter covers or 'socks' which will prevent damage to the Roman stone pillars which form the underfloor heating system over the winter period.

Explore Gloucestershire
19 August 2011

• Also see : Chedworth

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