The Wroxeter Excavations .

ing the metal pipe through which was carried hot water to the baths , a use adopted by the Romans to keep the water warm . On thc cast side of the hypocaust are the baths , and on the south and west sides are chambers , the floors of which are on a level with the floor of the hypocaust . On the north side is a portion of a tessellated pavement , the tesserae ( of various colours ) of the other parts having been disturbed by the root of a fine oak tree , the spreading branches of which apparently hang over the whole of the Balneum . This tree is said to be about one hundred

and seventy years old . The two compartments or rooms westward ofthe fine are each ei ght feet wide , and nearly square : the chamber on tbe south side of the hypocaust , from which it is divided by a wall two feet four inches thick , is rectangular . Eastward of the baths arc other rooms , ivhich extend to the eastern wall . This portion of the exterior wall extends seventy feet , the south end terminating by a corner stone . The walls ' of several

small chambers have been laid bare to this point . The architectural and archaiological societies of Northampton and Lincoln made an excursion to Apethorpe on Wednesday week . The visitors were received by the Earl of AVestmoreland in thc long gallery , and conducted to the stone hall , where a sumptuous luncheon was provided for upwards of two hundred guests . "" Thc repast concluded , thc company repaired to the site of thc Roman

villa in the park . A temporary platform had here been erected , on which the Rev . E . Trollopc ' took his stand , and with the excavations before him , surrounded hy a large audience , including very many ladies , he proceeded to describe the interesting remains which had drawn them thither . There were present the Earl of Westmoreland ; Lord L yveden ; the Hon . Fitzpatrick Vernon ; the Rev . Sir G . S . Robinson ; T . Tyron , Esq . ; Geo . AVard Hunt , Esq ., the

M . P . ; AV . Smyth , Esq . ; Rev . Christopher Smyth ; thc Rev . II . J . Bigge ; the Rev . Thos . James ; the Rev . Lord Alwync Compton ; AV . B . Stopford , Esq . ; John Yorkc , Esq ., and many others . Mr . Trollope said the first object to ivhich he should direct their attention was , a coin found on this spot ofthe Emperor Constantine , who lived upwards of one thousand five hundred years ago . It had an interesting reverse—a figure of Apollo , holding in his hand orb

au representing the earth . The s ? rcat torn of Durobriv . e , now represented by Castor and AVater Newton , and the great Roman road , the Ermine-street , were the two mam attractions of that period which this part of the country presented to colonists , and these , be conceived , were the reason ' s ivhich induced the owner of this house to fix himself on this site . Roman villas were largely scattered around Durobriva .. Remains had been found at SihsdnTixoverStibbingtonSutton

, , , Wansford , King ' s Clifle , Bulwick , AVeldon , Cotterstock , and many other neighbouring places . Thc Romans were probably induced to settle numerousl y in these parts , because at that time there was an abundance of wood , of water , ' and also of iron stone . Ilion . was clear evidence of the Romans having worked the iron m this district . Thc country was well wooded , " and plenty of fuel lor smelting ivas to be had on thc spot . Masses of iron slag , intermixed with undoubted

Roman remains , had been found in the adjoining parish of King ' s Clift ' e , in the chnrch-vard at -Lordlcy Well , and Bedford , in numerous places . In Bulwick parish there is a remarkable district called Blacklands , from thc colour of the sod , occasioned by thc immense quantities of charcoal there intermixed witli iron slag , thc refuse of Roman furnaces . In this very district of Blacklands was found a lam-c number of coins mixed

Roman up with the scoria .. Audit ivould be remembered that the Roman colonists who occupied these villas were not like thc English gentlemen of thc present tune . Ihey were persons intent on earning a livelihood , and he Jiad little doubt that the owner of the house before them was a person connected with trade—probably thc iron trade . AVith respect to the date of this house , he felt , quite certain that it was limit between thc 79

years and 410 , because the year 79 was thc hrst in which any Roman colonist dared to settle in anv mi for-. iliecl situation , ancl in thc year 410 Honorius gave up all ' claim to dominion m Britain , ft was near to the Ermine-street , but nearer to the via vjemahs . There was clear evidence that the villa was destroyed by fire , iu thc colour of the stones and brickwork-, -trie construction of thc walls was in the usual herring-bone style llie had

, budding not . open colonnades . Thc Romans were Jar too wise to introduce their own architecture into this ungemal country—thc colonnades , fiat roofs , and rows of walls 1 ici-ced with holes , which were now advocated hy their would-be imitators of the nineteenth century . The villa before them presented nothing like the character of a southern villa . It had no „ , I n " , Iwge straggling villa , with the baths tailing back towards the river . He took that , well which had been supposed to be an unpluvium to be simply a dipping well . He now

turned to the interesting portion of thc remains containing the bathing establishment , and he would begin by warning his hearers that every hypocaust , or room supported by pike , was not necessarily a bath . In this cold climate it might indicate merely a warm room . One little apartment he took to be the place where the charcoal was kept . The other adjoining it he took to be the furnace . The heat went through the

passage and the hypocaust . Unfortunately , the concrete which was once over the pila . was destroyed , and had been removed . The hypocaust was divided in two parts , and he had no doubt those two piles of larger bricks , which are four times the size ofthe others , formed a divisional wall , and rierhaps supported a labrum or hot water bath . Over the hypocaust , first came the caldariumthen the tepidariumand beyond was the

, , cold plunging bath , lined with a coating of cement . They might still see the drain for letting off the water . In this particular lrypocatist there are sixteen small pila _ in the first , and twentyfive in the second compartment . Thc two rooms at the side were the dressing rooms—the apodyteria . And now he came to the pavement before them . It was composed of plain , course tessela of terra cottathc materials for whicli were found on the spot . In

, the centre , however , is a square compartment of that superior mosaic known as opus vermiculattim . On examining the restored plan , they would sec something uncommonly like a cross , and at first he was disposed to think that the builder of this house might have been a Christian . But the cross is so simple an ornament that they could not be surprised to find it without being

indicative of any connexion with Christianity . Something like a cross ornamented the centre of the Roman pavement found at Cotterstock . Near this pavement is a carefully smoothed plaster floor painted red—very rare in this country . He only knew of two instances . Traces of wall plaster had also been found . Next , they came to the covering . For the most part the roof was formed of fiat tiles , called tegulai , with a flange and semicircular

tiles or mnbriccs , which were placed over the flanged ends of the flat ones . Heaps of these were found . They might still see thc holes ivith which they were fastened to the roof , and in sonic instances tbe iron nails remained in them . Many pieces of Collyweston slate , with holes and the nails in them , had been found . There was one very good specimen of a fine tile scored with the usual wavy ornaments . He was sorry to say this villa

had not , been so productive of beautiful , pottery as they might have hoped . There was a fragment of what is commonly called Samian ware , erroneously supposed to have been manufactured at Samos , hut really at Are __ zo—Arctium—in Italy . There was also a specimen of Durobrivan pottery , two other specimens of creamcoloured pottery , pieces of kitchen mortars , roughed inside with , little bits of iron scoriic . There ivas also a great quantitof

y bones , whicli , as usual , taught them nothing , and a large number of oyster shells , showing that the proprietor , like the rest of his countrymen , was very fond of the oysters of Britain . Some of these were still closed . There were some specimens of Roman glass—not of any particular quality . A very lew small coins were found—one a third brass of Constantino the Great . Two small

altars , very rude , one p lain and the other having Pan on one side and a tripos apparently on the other , and two lumps of wood in thc dipping well . AA'ith a well-deserved compliment to the Earl of Westmoreland for the care with which he had prosecuted these researches , Mr . Trollope closed his address . The Rev . H . Elwin of Norwich moved a vote of thanks to the reverend gentleman , which was seconded by Lord Alwync Compton . On leaving the and then

park , the excursionists visited Apethorpe Church , proceeded to King ' s Cfiff ' e , where , from thc pulpit steps , thc Rev . C . Nevinson gave a brief history of the parish . Returning to Stamford , there was an evening meeting in thc Assembly Room , ivhere , Lord Alwyne Compton presiding , the Rev . Edward Trollope read a paper on '' The Roman House at Apethorpe , " filling up the outline be had sketched at the spot . AVith an

explanation of thc contents of the museum got together for the occasion , the meeting w-as brought to a close . Thc Roman villas consisted of three parts , one called thc Cf- . baua . where the master and his family dwelt ; another thc Rustica , destined for thc uses of husbandry ; aud the third , the Fructuaria , or receptacles for the fruits of thc earth . Iu the choice of situation and aspect thc Romans were very particular , thc latter requirand

ing peculiar attention , as only by thc aspect of thc buildings rooms could they be rendered conveniently habitable in bad weather , glass for windows being then only little known , ancl its substitutes costly ancl not in general use . Vitruvius , an architect in thc reign of Augustus ( who died A . O . 14 ) , has given us the following rules : —The winter triclinium ( dining-room ) and hath should look to the winter's delining sun , because the afternoon