Crofton Roman Villa

Crofton Roman Villa

Crofton Roman Villa Crofton Road
Orpington
Bromley
London
BR6 8AF

Tel: 020 8460 1442
E-Mail: crofton.roman.villa@ntlworld.com

Web: Crofton Roman Villa

About Crofton Roman Villa

Crofton Roman Villa is the only villa open to the public in Greater London.

It was inhabited from about AD 140 to 400 and was the centre of a large farming estate.

Today you can see the remains of 10 rooms protected inside a public viewing building. Remains include tiled (tessellated) floors and the under-floor heating system (hypocaust).

Crofton Roman Villa Discovery.

Although part of the Roman villa was destroyed by a railway cutting in the 19th century, it was discovered in 1926. Then, workmen constructing driveways for new council offices (now Lynwood House) cut through several rooms of the villa. A partial excavation by Mr E Erwood was soon abandoned and apart from limited excavation by the Orpington Historical Society in the 1950's the site remained buried and overgrown.

The full excavation of the site was carried out by the Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit in 1988 when the villa was due to be destroyed for a new car park for the extended Civic Hall. This work revealed the surviving extent of the building, identified five major periods of construction, discovered important details and recovered an interesting collection of finds.

The Preservation Scheme.

By the end of the 1988 excavation the importance of what survived became clear and the Kent Unit asked the London Borough of Bromley to consider shortening the car park and thus save the villa. This was readily agreed and the various options for the future of the site then considered. Bromley Council eventually approved an outline preservation scheme, whereby the Unit provided the cover building, internal and external services, all the graphics and conservation work in 1990-1992. The cost was about £80,000, though the full value of the scheme has been estimated as over £200,000.