Low Ham Roman Villa

[2] The villa was discovered by a local farmer, Herbert Cook, in 1938, whilst digging a hole to bury a dead sheep.

Aerial photography has shown that there are a number of farm buildings around a large courtyard, although the excavations concentrated on the residential west wing and bath house.

They featured the usual suite of rooms with a deep cold plunge bath and beautiful mosaic floor along its approach.

[3] The large 14-foot (4.3m) square mosaic from the floor of the frigidarium depicts the story of Aeneas and Dido, as told in the 1st century BC by the Roman poet, Virgil.

First is a scene of Aeneas sailing to Carthage, with Achates lifting from a ship the crown described as a gift to Dido in Aeneid Book I.