Can this be true??
A Roman Villa at Ollerton??
The apparent discovery of a Roman Villa at Ollerton was noted by the Newark Advertiser newspaper (edition of 15th May 1861, p2 c4) in the following manner.
“OLLERTON – DISCOVERY OF A ROMAN VILLA – The Rev. William B. Philpot, rector of Walesby, in a letter with respect to a “Discovery of a Roman Villa”. He states that “an extensive villa, with its dependent establishments, has been lately brought to light by the plough and the spade. The plough struck against one of the under piers of one of the hypocausts.
“The ploughman imagining it to be some kind of draining tile, or an old chimney pot, took the opinion of an intelligent local antiquarian. He kindly communicated with myself. We were helped in our labours by the tenants and neighbours, and when the principal portion had been laid open to view the Rev. Edward Trollope, the discoverer of the villa on the property of the late Earl of Westmoreland, paid us a visit, and on Tuesday last kindly explained the idea of the Roman villa to a large assembly from the adjoining parts.
“Our villa stands within half-a-mile of the great Roman road from Camulodunum to the settlements in Yorkshire. From indications in the neighbouring fields it is not unlikely that this may have been a settlement of some extent. Coins have been found of the period of one of the Gordians, of Constantine, of Constantinus II, and of Constans; also some fragments of handmills, a stone chisel, faggot-fork, spindlewhirls, and numberless pieces of funeral urns, dolia diota, and jars of many sorts and sizes, some of very choice Samian and Durobrivæ ware.
“The hypocaustal features are very clearly marked, as the furnaces, flues, ashpits, and under piers, which are filled with clay, and much burnt. There are foundations of the walls of three rooms, and a cold plunging bath, with a long drain by which the water escaped down the slope of the hill. Bones of red deer, oxen, and sheep have been dug up, with the usual number of oystershells. The spot commands a view of Lincoln, and is within a few minutes’ walk of a view of the Humber and the sea.”