The Sun.
London, England, 1856-04-19 00:00:00

DTS(7OVERY OF ROMAN IiEMAINS.

----
A
discovery-wai' made on Monday last on the
farm of Abbey Flats, which forms part of the
glebe lands in the incumbency of the Rev. Mr.
Wintour, rector of Barton-upon-Trent. Barton
has long been known to afford indications of Roman
remains:_ In partibular the onestead of the farm
ofAbbeY.Flats has. been quite celebrated for pos-
sessing a fold-yard paved
,with the small diced tiles
of the conquerors of the world. PaPsages of these
tiles are distinctly visible in the fold-yard, and it is
in the field immediately •adjoining it to the east
that the present discoveries have been laid bare.
For a long time Mr. Wintour has noticed that
.square patches situate at intervals over the sur-
face of this field have either failed to produce
crops, notwithstanding the fertility of the red clay
of which the field is composed, or have presented
squares of scanty and stunted produce, in great con-
trast to the rest of the field. The cause has now
been disclosed. :On Monday last, as the parish
clerk was ploughing in this field, the plough struck
against the edge of what proves to
.be a tesselated
pavement not a foot beneath the surface. The clerk
stopped the plough and communicated with the
reverend gentleman,. who, having set some la 7
urers IV work, gently cleared the surface, and,
.at the depth of a foot, laid bare about 1-4th diago-
nally, of a superb pavement of bold and elegant
geometrical designs, in red, white, and Line, as fresh
and beautiful as the day when it was first laid down.
From the appearances and the traces of passages
or walki 'leading through the field, Mr. Wintour
ii convinced that the Abbey Flats must have been
the site, not merely of a single Roman villa, but of
numerous honses. Meanwhile be has had the
flooring jest discovered washed clean So far as it is
tract able ; and we were enabled distinctly to fol-
•low the whole variations of the pattern. The space
thrown open forms an Oblong rectangle measuring
15 feet by 16;.•feet, extending lengthwise due east
and west. This rectangle is.occupied by an outer
• border of small Ted half-inch tiles, three feet broad
on the west and one and a half on, the south. This
is succeeded by an inner border of blue, nine inches
broad, and then by delicate double lines of small
vriite tiles, including a 'magnificent scroll border
sic inches broad, of- interlacing red, white,
and blue tilest succeeded by another delicate
double white line. The centre part within this
-brilliant bordering (separated from it by a double
line of blue) is occupied with a great-variety of
geometrical figures. In nll these the colouring 'of
the tile is remarkably. brilliant. The flooring ap-
pears to be laid adown on a cement, . which, how-
eter, reposes tipcin artificial soil of very great
depth, presenting the colour of a dark fertile mould
very unlike the red clay. of the field in general.
ltfr. Win tour, in causing the soil to be dug up
around the site of these discoveries, has met in-
, variably intermixed with the soil small pieces of
charred wood, an.i.f the edifices here situated had
(..been completely 'destroyed by fire. Large stones
and traces of wall foundations are, however, ,dis-
•govered abundantly the field. --.Nottingham
Guardian.