Archaeologist joins call to save unique Roman Villa

PA 60/09 An archaeologist at The University of Nottingham has joined the fight to protect the site of a unique Roman villa. The site, until recently buried under the old Southwell Minster School, has planning permission for 13 new homes. But experts say at least part of the land earmarked for development should be protected because of the villa remains and its special relationship with Southwell Minster, the Cathedral Church of Nottinghamshire. The University of Nottingham is custodian of a remarkable archive of photographs and lecture slides bequeathed to the Department of Archaeology after the death of Charles Daniels who led the very first major excavation of the site in 1959 — before the Minster Grammar School was built. Three hundred and fifty people who attended a recent public meeting were told by Dr Will Bowden, from the Department of Archaeology, that this was a fantastic opportunity to find out more about the history of Southwell and its Cathedral and Minster. Dr Bowden has joined with community groups in Southwell to call for full investigation of the site and for the area of the villa to remain free of development. Roman remains were discovered under parts of Southwell as far back as the 1790s.