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About the Villa.
The Crofton Roman Villa house was inhabited from about AD 140 to 400 and was the centre of a farming estate of about 500 acres. Nearby would have been farm buildings, surrounded by fields, meadows and woods.
The house was altered several times during its 260 years of occupation and at its largest probably had at least 20 rooms.
The remains of ten rooms can be seen today, now within a modern cover building. Two rooms contain the remains of their opus signinum (concrete) floors, and three have evidence of tessellated (tiled) floors. Details of the under-floor central heating (hypocaust) can be seen, which features both channelled and pillared systems.
See 'The Villa Story'
What's provided at the Villa.
- Guided talk/recorded commentary on the villa by an archaeologist;
- Graphic displays of the excavations and villa
- The Touch Table with a selection of Roman finds from the excavation for handling;
- Replica Roman everyday objects, including pots, jewellery, lamps and writing tablets;
- Activities for children -- Roman games to play, mosaic making, dressing up as Romans and digging for finds in the excavation tray;
- Roman soldier 'rubbings';
- Gift shop selling guide books, postcards, souvenirs and books on local archaeology;
- SPECIAL activity workshops for Schools. Two hour sessions. (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday) £2.50 per child.
- SPECIAL Facility for Societies. Sunday afternoons April to October. Special guided tour of Roman villa for pre-booked societies and groups (minimum 20) by the excavation director, Brian Philp. Normal charges apply, plus a donation to KARU.
Excavation and Preservation.
The site was fully excavated by the Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit which also carried out the complete preservation scheme, with funding provided by Bromley Council.
The Unit now manages the scheme in conjunction with the Council.
Opening Times:
2nd April to 31st October 2008.
| DAY OF THE WEEK. | OPENING TIMES. |
|---|---|
| Wednesdays & Fridays: | 10am to 1pm & 2 to 5pm. |
| Sundays: |
2 to 5pm. |
| Bank Holiday Mondays: |
10am to 1pm & 2 to 5pm. |
Last entry 4.30pm.
ADMISSION: Adults £1; Children/Concessions 70p.
Access for people with disabilities.
Staffed by the Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit (KARU). Other days by arrangement with Bromley Museum.
Information and Bookings.
Contact:
Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit,
11 Penshurst Green,
Bromley,
Kent BR2 9DG.
email: croftonromanvilla@btinternet.com
Information for Schools (2008). NEW
Activities 2008. NEW
Want to know more about the activities planned for 2008? Look HERE for a list of the events at the villa in 2008.
Villa brochure and poster.
The 2008 Poster.
[D].2008 Crofton Villa Poster (129k JPEG).
2008 Crofton Villa Poster -- .pdf 361k.
The 2008 Crofton Villa brochure.
(Please note that there is nothing in the brochure that is not in these Crofton Roman Villa pages and elsewhere on the site.)
2008 Crofton Villa brochure..pdf: 3mb.
