Level 3 - Life in Roman Sussex - The Countryside

The Countryside

Villas, Farmsteads & Villages

Chilgrove 1: Reconstruction of fourth century villa (by C.de la Nougerede

The archaeological definition of a villa is that of a wealthy rural residence with a number of 'romanized' attributes such as mosaics, bathhouses, painted plaster, tesselated floors, sculpted columns and other stonework. Although exhibiting a large degree of variation, they generally fall into a recognised category of ground plan, with the most common being a 'winged corridor' type such as the model shown below. They are often accompanied by a range of outbuildings and enclosures, as befits their usual status as the centre of an agricultural estate.

Sussex is unique within Britain, in having a significant number of large villa complexes belonging to the 1st century AD. These were probably constructed by members of the tribal aristocracy during the period of the client kingdom, and may have been the centre of tribal sub-units units, or pagi (see Administration & Society). The large early villas were strikingly different to any form of architecture seen before in Britain, and would have had a substantial impact upon the landscape. It is likely that they were used by the elite as a form of Romanized conspicuous display, designed to enhance their prestige and power within society.

As the client kingdom became absorbed into the province, the number of villas increased, so that there are around thirty known examples from the 2nd century AD, and undoubtedly many more waiting to be discovered. These later villas were generally of a more modest nature than those of the 1st century, and probably represent a rise in the number of landowners who had benefited financially from integration into the Roman state.

During the 3rd and 4th centuries, many of the coastal villas declined and/or were abandoned, including that at Fishbourne. This may have been because of increased insecurity, both from internal struggles within the empire and from external barbarian raids. Further inland however, villas such as Bignor, Chilgrove and Up Marden were being enlarged and improved at this time, perhaps representing the return to a smaller number of very wealthy landowning families.

Many of the Sussex villas developed from earlier native farmsteads, particularly those located in areas of good agricultural land, and with communication routes, such as Chilgrove. Smaller farms were to be found throughout most parts of southern Sussex in the Roman period (i.e. from the coastal plain to the upper greensand), and were probably the domestic dwellings of poorer independent or tenant families. They often show a distinct continuity from the later Iron Age, implying that the basic units of land tenure were not always altered by the Roman conquest.

In some places, such as Thundersbarrow, there have been found groups of domestic and agricultural buildings - probably representing a number of family units - that may be termed 'villages'. However, sites like Park Brow, where boundary ditches, pits and five rectangular buildings have been found, may actually represent a group of structures or 'rooms' which had different functions, but belonged to a single family. If this were the case, then the total structural space of these separate 'rooms' would not be very different from some small villas. Indeed, at Park Brow, the presence of window glass, ceramic roof tiles and painted plaster suggests that there was not always a great distinction between villas and other farmsteads.