Villa Ventorum

A very large Roman villa was discovered within the grounds at The Newt in Somerset. It has been excavated and lies beneath the new Museum building, the contents of which have inspired the villa reconstruction adjacent to the ancient original. Working with the project Architects and guided by a local Archaeological Consultant team, TFCo were awarded the extraordinary opportunity to augment the considerable research the Architects had completed to produce the scheme’s plans and develop the detailed frame designs, timber, joint and fixing specifications.

TFCo built the collection of oak frames for the outbuildings, oak framed roofs and internal chestnut staircase and balcony joinery to the main villa building. The brief required this project to be as authentic as possible. During our research we were constantly amazed at how technically advanced the Romans were.

The oak framed barns that serviced the main Villa building itself are fully framed, with cleft oak staves and split hazel wattle and daub infill panels and thatched roofs. The bake house frame is boarded and has a hipped oak shingle roof as does the grain drying building. TFCo built the exposed oak roofs and floor beams to the Villa building, each king post truss including hand forged iron straps, nails and bearing plates. The external loggias that link the rooms have oak framed roofs supported by oak beams on stone columns. Internally we built the Chestnut staircase and internal balcony featuring cleft chestnut lattice screens, the external Pergola with four large turned oak columns. TFCo prepared and supplied axe hewn oak beams to the builders for lintels to be built in the Villa walls over window and door openings.

The Villa Ventorum is an immersive experience and visits can be booked via The Newt in Somerset’s website.

Architect-Stonewood Design
Structural Engineer –StructureHaus (TFCo Associate)
Client –The Newt in Somerset