So we decided to check this place out after the Osborne house, and arrived around 3pm to a…read moresemi-ominous delegation of dozens of crows. I believe I first read about it on Yelp or Trip Advisor, as something worth seeing that is a bit off of the beaten path on the Isle of Wight. The villa "was the home and estate of a cultured farmer and administrator in Roman-British times." Yes, Roman-occupied Britain, circa the 3rd century (AD 250). Excavated in this century and preserved as a museum, it was a pretty neat slice of the times. We saw the outlines and rooms of a home, including the original mosaic tiles, which was extremely fascinating. And the way they introduced each rooms was... interesting. Sort of like the narrator was a friend, using a first-person narrative describing the rooms in their homes. "Let me begin to explain the floor of what I think of as my private room. The mosaic is dedicated to Bacchus the god of wine and good things. You can see two of the images. I've also shown gladiators, one with a net advancing with trident and dagger towards the armoured opponent, whose helmet is just visible." Commonly, the mosaics depicted something to do with myths: Medusa, Perseus, Andromeda, the "cockheaded man" (... chicken-headed).
Laid out with glass walkways elevated above the excavated floor, you're able to peer down or across at interesting parts of history. There are also a lot of displays arranged around the villa, showing anything from dog skulls and bones ("Discovered down the well with human remains, suggesting ritual offerings to influence the gods.), coins ("Bronzian of the Emperor Allectus 293-296 AD, found in Room 31 during the 2004 excavations.), chunks of stone featuring footprints in the tile ("The floor tile found in the well bears a human footprint, studded sandal impressions, and a dog's paw print. It is called a bipedalis, a type commonly used to cap a hypocaust floor."), and even some pictures of how the villa came to be buried over the centuries.
THE VERDICT:
Small, but interesting Roman-occupied villa. I think if you're nearby, it's definitely worth a quick trip because of the ancient, original pieces and tilework that you are see. It's sort of amazing to look down on a mosaic floor that still bears colored tiles. I definitely appreciate old things, and I get an almost dizzying sense seeing places like this. But I can also see how it might be boring to other people who just aren't as interested in stuff like this. To me, it was a fun experience, and I'm glad we stopped in and checked it out.
MY TIME:
We spent less than an hour here, including getting some cream tea.
TIPS/SUGGESTIONS:
-The villa is roofed, so you don't have to worry about getting rained on.
-Highly wheelchair-accessible.
