I, for one was unaware that our Roman oppressors once inhabited the village of Banwell.
A Roman building was discovered at Banwell in 1967 during pipe laying operations for the Bristol Waterworks Company when fragments of a mosaic pavement were found. Preliminary investigations made by the Weston Super Mare Museum in 1968 revealed a mosaic which was lifted for restoration in the museum. Although badly damaged enough remained of the mosaic for exhibition. Excavations, concentrated on the area of the mosaics, revealed an almost complete plan of the bath house. Due to limited means complete excavations could not be considered but small trial trenches have revealed a probable inner wall and further fragments of tesserae suggest other mosaics at the main villa. Only one coin has been found and the main finds have consisted of pottery. Three periods of building are suggested and habitation probably ended in the mid 4th century. At the time of the excavation the area of the bath house was under water and the floors were considerably subsided. It is thought that the sea encroached upon this area from the 3rd century onwards and this may have been the reason for abandonment.
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