Team which discovered Rutland Roman villa. University of Leicester Archaeological Services, uncover Roman countryside house in Leicestershire

A team of archeologists who uncovered a Roman villa in Rutland have made a new discovery.

Archaeology students from the University of Leicester have unearthed a big Roman house in the Leicestershire countryside, which is thought to date to the second century AD.

It follows the discovery of a Roman villa in Rutland, which boasted a Trojan War mosaic, by University of Leicester Archaeological Services three years ago.

At about 70 metres long, the newly unearthed building is a substantial addition to the list of villas in the East Midlands, and together with the Rutland example, will provide valuable new insight into Roman country houses in rural Britain.

First-year archaeology students developed their excavation skills during a two-week dig, alongside crews from Time Team which was filming for a feature later in the year.

Dr John Gater of Time Team and director of Sumo GeoSurveys, who co-funded the geophysical survey, said: “Following on from our earlier geophysical and aerial surveys on the Rutland villa, it was fantastic to work again alongside the University of Leicester team.

“The magnetic survey revealed a complex landscape of features including ring ditches and field systems, while the ground penetrating radar (GPR) mapped the footprint of the building itself.

“Although most of the floor surfaces had been robbed out, it was amazing to see the large granite stone blocks which formed some of the wall foundations.”