present day. Although the mosaic is safe, exposed stonework, especially in rooms with stone piers for underfloor heating, is in a fragile state and needs repair.
More than a tonne of loose and broken masonry has had to be removed from part of the site pending restoration work and visitors are being urged to respect the barriers and signs indicating where it is currently unsafe to go in order to help protect the site for generations to come.
For Blenheim Estate please contact |Gemma Else| gelse@blenheimestate.com|07342 020534|Molly Stirton| mstirton@blenheimestate.com|
For North Leigh Roman Villa Volunteers please contact Matthew Lee |52woodlinn@gmail.com|
About Blenheim Estate Land
At Blenheim Estate Land we know that our land is precious and finite, but cared for properly its benefits can be limitless. Yet today there are fresh challenges like climate change, an aging population and increasing urbanisation.
So our approach – spanning a number of projects – needs to be as sophisticated, enduring and holistic as those issues we face.
By adopting new methods of valuing our natural capital we can view our land resources as part of an ecosystem. An ecosystem whose benefits extend to the air we all breathe, the green transport solutions that connect our communities, the physical and mental health we enjoy, and the quality of the food we consume.
At the pinnacle of our ambitions is the goal to become the first estate to demonstrate carbon-negative land management.
Ultimately, these projects form part of Blenheim’s Strategic Purpose; to be the lifeblood of the local economy, to enhance the lives of local people, and to share and protect this place.
At Blenheim Estate we believe the bounty from our land is more than the annual harvest, it’s the fundamental source of continued prosperity, renewal and wellbeing. Always growing our legacy.
About North Leigh Roman Villa
Set within a peaceful landscape on the banks of the River Evenlode, North Leigh Roman Villa is considered to be one of the largest villas in Roman Britain with a 500-year history of occupation.
Today visitors can imagine the villa’s former richness as they walk through the rectangular footprint of its walls – but the mosaic house hides the real gem of a near complete mosaic floor. The mosaics form the floor of villa’s winter dining room and, as the only example in Oxfordshire still found in their original location, they give a powerful sense of the Villa’s original opulence.
For more details of North Leigh Roman Villa: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/north-leigh-roman-villa/ and to find out about how to become a Friend of North Leigh Roman Villa email: nlrvvols@gmail.com
As well as North Leigh Roman Villa, English Heritage cares for over 400 historic buildings, monuments and sites – from world-famous prehistoric sites to grand medieval castles, from Roman forts on the edge of the empire to a Cold War bunker. Registered charity no. 1140351.