The first time we visited here it was completely by accident and I wish we’d got there earlier in the day because I would have loved to have been able to spend more time here. It took me several years to go back to Chedworth Roman Villa to do this review, but it was worth revisiting. It’s not a stay all day kind of place, but it is a really interesting place to visit.
Make sure you take up the offer of the audio guides. They’re only £1 each and there’s versions suitable for kids and adults. They’re really good for the kids as they keep them really engaged. Smallest Child wouldn’t really have enjoyed the visit very much if it hadn’t been for the audio guide. She loved having her own little one to use. Somehow she managed to accidentally reset it which meant we could tell you the current exchange rates for various currencies, but not a lot about the Romans. You can also buy a children’s guide / activity book for a few pounds. The kids did find it interesting, but I’m always sceptical how much these things actually offer value for money.
The villa
Apparently Chedworth Roman Villa was found by accident when hunting for rabbits! They found some mosaic tiles and knew there must be something underground. The Victorians came along later and built a shooting lodge right in the middle of it and added some improvements to the ruins. Including little roofs for the walls – as you do! Don’t worry though there’s still plenty left that hasn’t been “improved”
The most spectacular part of Chedworth Roman Villa is protected by the West Range building. In here you’ll find beautiful mosaics, the dining room, and the baths. Well, one of the bath suites anyway. You can see the full hot tub, cold plunge bath experience including all the hypocast structure underneath. There are some boards explaining what everything is, but this really is where the audio guides come into their own. You could probably walk through the West Range building, making suitable oohs and ahhs, within a few minutes. You’ll be in there for an awful lot longer if you use the guides, and find out some interesting information along the way.
The rest of the site
Within the wider grounds there is a shrine to a water goddess with ridiculously clear water and a small museum. The walls from the rest of the villa are out here as well. There are no more mosaics. I forgot to check if that’s because there aren’t any, or because they haven’t been excavated. There are several information boards dotted around telling you what you’re looking at but actually there isn’t a huge amount of information (again, those audio guides come into play).
The museum within the shooting lodge is tiny (just one room) but it has some of the finds from the villa which are quite cool.
Look out for the Roman Snails as well. THEY ARE HUGE. Not a fan of snails in the slightest but their size was impressive. OK, OK, so maybe the passing of time made me over-emphasise their size but, as snails go their pretty big. Important note, they are a protected species so please don’t touch them.
Walks from Chedworth Roman Villa
There are a couple of public footpaths from Chedworth Roman Villa to explore. There’s also a woodland trail on the website but it’s currently closed. It’s a real shame because there’s little treasure boxes along the path with clues about the lives of the Romans.
Our Chedworth Roman Villa review
This is a really interesting little place. You won’t be here for very long. Just a couple of hours at most, but it is worth visiting. There are also the most incredible views across the Gloucestershire countryside. Don’t forget to look for those snails.
Admission Cost
£25 for a family ticket. Free for NT members. Membership starts at just £10 per month. Find out more about joining here (affiliate link)
Parking / How to get there
Address – Yanworth, near Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL54 3LJ. Make sure you follow the signs for “Roman Villa” and not Chedworth.
Parking – On-site but there’s not a massive amount of spaces
Toilets
On-site including baby change
Food
Cafe On-site. Picnics are also welcome, and come with a stunning view!
Hi, I’m Vicky. My husband and I live in Aylesbury with our three children; a 14 year old son, an 12 year old son and a 6 year old daughter. I (mostly) love spending time together as a family. We visit all kinds of places and we’re quite happy to drive a fair distance for a decent day out. A few years ago I decided to set up Free Time with the Kids as a way to share our experiences of these family days out.
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