It’s amazing what sits beneath our feet

Hemel’s hidden Roman Villa in Gadebridge Park, complete with the second largest Roman swimming pool and baths in Britain, came to life at the weekend as hundreds flocked to see its footprint mapped out on the site where it was built almost two thousand years ago.

As part of the national Heritage Open Days festival, members of the Hemel Hempstead History Society set out to recreate the villa footprint so people could visualise the rich history that lays beneath their feet.

“There's currently no indication that a vast Roman villa, bathhouse and swimming pool sits just a few feet below the ground when people walk their dogs, stroll across the meadow or drive past”, said Mike Atkins, Chairman of the Hemel History Society.

“Using plans from the original excavations in the 1960s, and with guidance from expert archaeologist Dr David Neal, volunteers mapped out the villa's various rooms and features”.

“The site's Scheduled Monument status rightly safeguards the ruins, so digging to expose the villa wasn't an option”, said Mr Atkins.

Renowned archaeologist and expert on Roman mosaics, Dr David Neal, who led the 1960s excavations of the site, conducted tours showing people the many features of the Villa. Volunteers from Dacorum Heritage, the local museum store, displayed a model of the Villa with artifacts from the excavation, including Dr Neal’s original notebook and trowel.

“The response from people has been amazing and exceeded our expectations”, said Mike Atkins, “Well over 200 people visited the site on the Open Day and the images have been viewed by thousands online. It's such a shame Hemel doesn't have a museum where people can view the artifacts and learn more about Hemel’s history”.

Plans are underway to mark the site with an information board, and the History Society is now planning an exhibition about the Romans in Hemel Hempstead, with a talk by Dr Neal.

For more information about Hemel History Society, visit their Facebook pages https://www.facebook.com/groups/HemelHistory or email their Secretary, Alan Olive. [email protected]