Horkstow Roman villa is a Roman villa and scheduled monument in Horkstow, North Lincolnshire. It was discovered in 1797 when labourers found a large floor mosaic.[1] A geophysical survey of the site in 1987 identified structural features between the site of the mosaic and the nearby Horkstow Hall, though the full layout of the villa has not yet been discovered.[2]

Horkstow Roman villa
The 'chariot race' mosaic from Horkstow villa
Horkstow Roman villa is located in Lincolnshire
Horkstow Roman villa
Location within Lincolnshire
General information
Architectural styleRomano-British Villa
LocationHorkstow, North Lincolnshire
grid reference SE98491914
CountryUnited Kingdom
Coordinates53°39′34″N 0°30′40″W / 53.659484°N 0.51107872°W / 53.659484; -0.51107872
Construction startedc.4th century

Mosaic

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The mosaics were retained in situ until 1927 when they were moved to the British Museum. They were transferred to Hull and East Riding Museum in 1976.[1] The mosaic consists of three panels. The first depicts Orpheus, the second is known as the 'painted ceiling' and includes several scenes from classical mythology, and the third depicts a chariot race.[3] The Orpheus mosaic is one of thirteen examples of this subject from Roman Britain and is one of the two most northerly examples; the other being at the nearby Winterton Roman villa.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b Historic England. "Monument no. 63618 (63618)". Research records (formerly PastScape).
  2. ^ Historic England. "Roman villa immediately west of Horkstow Hall (1017553)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  3. ^ "The Horkstow Mosaic". Hull and East Riding Museum. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  4. ^ Sarah Scott (1995). "Symbols of Power and Nature: The Orpheus Mosaics of Fourth Century Britain and Their Architectural Contexts". In Rush, P. (ed.). Theoretical Roman Archaeology. Second Conference Proceedings, Bradford, 28th and 29th March 1992. pp. 105–123. doi:10.16995/TRAC1992_105_123.