Archaeologist Brian Philp among the remains of Crofton Roman Villa
Twenty years ago, Crofton Roman Villa was close to demolition - now it is the only such villa open to the public in Greater London. THOM KENNEDY finds out more.
TWENTY years ago, Crofton Roman Villas, in Crofton Road, Orpington, was due to make way for redevelopment.
Plans to build a new car park for nearby
council offices meant the small section of Roman walls, discovered in 1927, would be destroyed.
Only when the Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit asked to be allowed to dig on the site did it receive a stay of execution.
They were allowed two months to dig ahead of the redevelopment, uncovering numerous artefacts, and the foundations of the villa.
An open day for the public saw 2,000 people visit the site, and shortly afterwards, several letters were sent to Orpington council to save the site.
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Edna Mynott is secretary of Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit and education officer at the villa.
She said: "In May, June and July 1988 we opened up a great big area of remains.
Edna Mynott talks to young visitors at the villa about a Roman spoon
"We thought it was going to be destroyed,
so we held an open day where 2,000 people turned up, and an open week for school children.
"The kids and the public wrote to the local councillors, and they changed their minds and decided not to destroy the site with the car park.
"We saved it, it was great."
Crofton Villa was, at its peak, made up of 20 buildings which were built at various stages after the first construction in around 140AD.
After the Romans withdrew from Britain, the site lay unattended for centuries, until, in 1927, workmen laying a new driveway for Lynwood House, which was then Orpington Town Council's offices, came across Roman walls.
Nonetheless, they laid the drive across the walls.
It was only after the dig by the Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit 61 years later the extent of the remains was uncovered.
Now it provides a vital insight into Orpington's past.
Mrs Mynott said: "It is an ordinary Roman villa house, but I think the big thing is,
although it doesn't have much of a wow' factor, it is so important.
"It is our past, in the middle of the suburbs.
"Crofton is the only Roman villa open to the public in Greater London.
"It is very important in showing Orpington has a long past.
"Two-thousand years ago Orpington didn't exist.
"That means there would have been a big Roman house where the owner would actually live, and around it there would have been gardens and farm yards."
Among the items to be found at the site is a hypocaust - a Roman central heating system - tiled floors, and various artefacts.
Crofton Roman Villa is now maintained by the Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit, which works on sites which are going to be destroyed, including a cemetery in Welling, and several 17th-century sites around Lewisham.
To volunteer to help at the site, call 020 8460 1442.
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