Brading Roman Villa

Brading Villa is an unusual maritime Villa sited at the eastern end of the Isle of Wight. Situated in the English Channel, the island lies some 4 km offshore from the coast of central southern England. In Roman times the Villa lay close to the shore of a large natural harbour. This was later known as Brading Haven. By the year 1881 this harbour had been almost totally drained in order to create new farmland. The Villa lies at the foot of a chalk scarp and is surrounded by good quality farmland. The archaeology of the site shows that prehistoric people have been active here from at least 3000 BC. Flint tools of the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods and scatters of Iron Age pottery tell of their past activities on the site. Today, the picturesque medieval town of Brading is the natural successor to the Villa community. Like the Romano-British settlement, the town once flourished on the strength of its maritime trade and an active stone-quarrying industry. In Roman times the stone exports included altars and milestones. With the harbour long drained, the principal industry is now local tourism.

Additional info

The Unique Brading Roman Villa is an ideal resource for a Roman topic at key stages 2 and 3. A class visit could be used to support the key stage 2 study unit Romans, Anglo-Saxons and Vikings in Britain (including QCA unit 6A), and a study unit on the Roman Empire, as a key stage 3 European option.

To book a visit for your class, telephone the Villa (01983 406223) to discuss date and time. School groups are admitted at hourly intervals to avoid over-crowding. The admission charge for school groups is £1.50 per pupil; there is no charge for adult helpers. School groups are given a free guided tour. When your booking is confirmed, you will be sent a pack of information materials to help you prepare for the visit.