Crofton Roman Villa

Crofton Roman Villa lies beside Orpington railway station in the London Borough of Bromley. Built between about 140 and 400 AD, it once formed the heart of a 500-acre farming estate with fields, meadows and woods. The house was changed many times during its 260 years, growing to at least twenty rooms at its largest. Farm buildings stood nearby, showing how the estate worked. Today the remains show how people lived and farmed in Roman Britain. The villa’s ruins include ten rooms open to view. Two still show red “opus signinum” floors, while three preserve patterned tiled floors. Visitors can see parts of the underfloor heating system, with both channelled and pillared hypocausts. Small finds from the digs are displayed on site. The Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit fully explored the villa in 1988 and published their findings in 1996. A modern building now shelters the remains. The site was first spotted in 1926 when workmen dug a driveway and found Roman objects. It sits close to Lullingstone Roman Villa near Eynsford in Kent. The villa offers a quiet look at everyday life in the Roman countryside.