1847 map showing ‘Roman Remains’

Roman remains were first mentioned in Cotterell’s 1847 map near what is now the line of Summer Lane. All of the later 19th and 20th Century Ordnance Survey maps place it on the southern edge of the garden of Belmont House but there is uncertainty of its exact whereabouts. This is probably because some of this land, now on a steep slope, was quarried away after the evidence of the Villa was found. However, the twentieth century findings of Roman pottery in gardens above Summer Lane shows that not all of this area was mined. The Villa is described in  publications by Malcolm Aylett.

A leading Bath antiquary, the Rev Henry Scarth, published details of the several hundred coins and other artefacts which were deposited, and mostly still to be seen, in museums in Bath and Taunton.  The discovery of Roman stone coffins revealed a lucky find: one of the coffin lids was a piece of re-used stone bearing an earlier inscription.

Coin of 269AD

Bronze spoon

Iron key