Staff, volunteers and a community outreach group were all involved in a days filming, to shoot footage for audio-visual projections that will feature in the triclinium (dining room) next year. The shadowy figures are recreating a Roman meal, and alongside sounds and smells will transport visitors back to 362 AD, the Villa’s hayday. Thank you to everyone who helped on the day!

Over the next few weeks, Katie Smith our Community Outreach Officer will be working with local school pupils to create images that will build a montage of pictures on the 20 of the remaining covers to continue our work with the local community.

He threw a coin into the foundations that is unique to Chedworth inscribed with the Latin ‘Veni Vidi Voti’ meaning ‘I came, I saw, I offered’ and a 2010 minted coin to mark the beginning of the construction work.

Click to view slideshow.

The newly uncovered mosaics have been covered with a permeable plastic material, a layer of sand, a layer of insulation to protect them from frost damage and two layers of plywood. 

Where there are voids in the mosaics in the triclinium and bath house, carpenters have been constructing platforms to create a level surface so the mosaics can be properly protected by the same method as above.

The next phase of the project is to protect these mosaics and the other mosaics across the west range to ensure they are safe during the building works, which begins in November.  A team of conservators and contractors will be ensuring suitable protection is in place over the next few weeks.  Other preparations will also be taking place to get the site ready for the building works in 2012.

A huge thanks to all those who volunteered and all the National Trust staff who have undertaken, often backbreaking work in less than tropical conditions to reveal these wonderful treasures.