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

DISCOVERY OF ROMAN REMAINS.

A discovery was 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 particular the onestead of the farm
of Abbey Flats has been quite celebrated for pos-
sessing a fold-yard paved with the small diced tiles
of the conquerors of the world. Passages of these
tiles are distinctly visible i n 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-
bourers to 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 blue, as fresh
and beautiful as the day when it was first laid down.
From the appearances and the traces of passages
or walks leading through the field, Mr. Wintour
is convinced that the Abbey Flats must have been
the site, not merely of a s:ngle Roman villa, but of
• numerous houses. Meanwhile he has had the
flooring just discovered washed clean so far as it is
traceable ; 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 IO feet, extending, lengthwise due east
and west. This rectangle is occupied by an outer
border of small red 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 line's of 'small
white tiles, including a magnificent scroll border
six inches broad, of interlacing red, white,
and blue tiles, 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 all these the colouring of
the tile is remarkably brilliant. The flooring ap-
pears to be laid down on a cement, which, how-
ever, reposes upon artificial soil of very great
depth, presenting the colour of a dark fertile mould
very unlike the red clay of the field in general.
Mr. Wintour, in causing the soil to he dug up
around the site of these discoveries, has met in
variably intermixed with the soil small pieces of
charred wood, as if the ed flees here situated had
been completely destroyed by fire. Large stones
and traces of wall foundations are, however, dis-
covered abundantly in the field.—. Nottingham
Guardian.