Villa Photos - high res

Butser Ancient Farm
in association with
Discovery Channel UK

Photographic record of the construction of the Villa

	Levelling of the site. Being on chalk, no foundations as such were needed.
	A deeper hole was dug to accommodate the hypocaust.
	The base of the walls were laid out to define the building. The wall are made of flint and lime mortar.
	The walls start to grow.
	These are the supporting pillars under the raised floor of the hypocaust. The arch of the fire stoke hole can be seen through the wall. The clay tubes carry the waste gas up the inside of the walls.
	As the height of the walls climb, the rooms become more defined. This is a view along the front corridor.
	To protect the workers from the bad weather during the winter, a tent is erected over to work.
	The work continues in the protection of the tent. The hypocaust room can be seen at the back, with the tubes projecting out of the top of the walls.
	As the spring arrives the walls grow rapidly.
	The flint walls approach the full height.
	Once the flint wall was complete, the upper wall is put in place. This is a wooden frame, similar to the mediaeval house in later years.
	The main roof trusses are put in place.
	The roof is then completed with the rest of the frame, and planked to support the stone tile roof covering.
	Inside the villa, the frame is in-filled with wattle (woven wood).
	Then the whole thing is daubed to make solid walls.
	A view of the corridor being daubed.
	The first coat of lime-wash.
	A portico is constructed to decorate and 'show off' the front door.
	The daubing continues around the outside of the villa. In total, over 20 tons of daub was used.
	The laying out of a mosaic is started, eventually it will go on the floor of the hypocaust..
	Wall paintings were created once the building was waterproof.
	Every surface is methodically painted and decorated.
	Thanks to sponsorship from Bradstones, the roof tiles arrive in grand style.
	With the aid of mechanical muscle, the tiles are taken down to the villa.
	The roof tiling takes shape.
	The first floor of Roman concrete is laid.
	External decorations are underway. Shutters are made for the windows, and the outline of stone blocks are painted on the wall.
	Almost there, the last of the tiles are lifted up onto the roof.
	Decoration accelerates, and doors are constructed and hung.
	The mosaic is transferred to the floor in the hypocaust, bedded down on lime mortar.
	Ready for the grand opening.
	The villa will be ready for the public to visit, in March 2004. Meanwhile work continues, to complete all the internal decorations, including the rest of the floors.

Introduction