Here are some images that have been reconstructed of the Yewden villa complex at Hambleden. These were developed using the 1912 excavation information (plans and finds) plus knowledge of Roman building techniques. © Alison Jewsbury

The reconstruction above shows what has always been considered the 'main villa' building - called the 1st House by Mr Cocks in 1912. his study has shown it was not built until the 4th century. To the left is the 2nd House. Half shown on the right is the thatched well house and the very tiny building is known as the 4th House but was very likely to have been a small temple or shrine.

The artefacts found in the 2nd house (a closer view is shown below) show this to have been first a living area (with a bathroom) and then later on it became a workshop. A hoard of coins and two infant skeletons were found in this house.

View of the well house (dark thatched roof, lower left), the 'hovel' of Cocks 1912 but which was actually a rapid build following a fire in the 3rd House, only later becoming a workshop. The 3rd House is shown, with its annexe and red tiled roof, against the north enclosure wall and track.

View of the Yewden complex looking to the southeast. The Hamble Brook can be seen as well as Mill End villa and the River Thames in the far distance.

View of the Yewden complex looking to the northwest. The location of another temple to the west of the site and the track going west towards Bix and the Roman road to Dorchester is shown. The little houses by the track are inferred from debris sensed by the resistance survey and finds seen in the ploughed field.

There are thousands of finds from the 1912 excavation and these are giving a very good idea of the use of the buildings and yards, the dates they were active and exactly what they were doing there and how they were trading with.

We even have the key to the door - as seen here!

To see more you can view an animation of the site within the real landscape of the valley (use the link below or do a search when you are on Youtube for "Hambleden Roman villa" and select the video "The Roman Villas of Hambleden on Google Earth"). This video takes you from Mill End villa on the Thames and shows the relationship between this villa in the south and the Yewden villa complex a short distance up the valley. Using Google Earth it sets both villa locations into the landscape. The villa reconstructions have been carefully worked out using Cocks' 1912 plans with the archaeological evidence, they were then checked by Allen Levy who is an architect and a member of our team. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8VVN_7LxHs&feature=channel

The link to the app that can be downloaded showing the Yewden villa complex reconstructions is:

The two villa of Mill End and Yewden as seen from Google Earth. From this view you get an appreciation of just how close they were - something that needs explaining in terms of their role in Roman Hambleden. With competitoin for agricultural land perhaps Mill End focussed more on controlling trade and river traffic?