[2] It is on the south-facing slope of a ridge of greensand which provided better conditions for agriculture than the nearby chalk; this fact and its proximity to Roman Chichester meant that the owners were able to become wealthy from farming.

[3] In its final form, the villa consisted of some sixty-five rooms surrounding a courtyard, with a number of outlying farm buildings.

The later history of the villa is not well known, but it appears to have gradually declined in status,[3] rather than suffering a catastrophic fate, such as the fire that destroyed most of Fishbourne Palace.

[5] Since then Thomas Tupper, the direct descendant of the discoverer, whose family still owns the site, has undertaken further excavations: with Margaret Rule in the 1970s, and David Rudling in the 1980s.

[3] The rooms contain some of the best Roman mosaics to be found in Great Britain, both in terms of preservation, artistic merit and detailing.