Scarborough Roman villa reburied in preservation plan

A Roman villa unearthed on a building site and described as a potentially "the first of its kind" ever found has been reburied.

The remains of the large "stately home" and bath house were found in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, in 2021.

Developer Keepmoat Homes said the site had been reburied on the recommendation of Historic England.

It said it planned to create an "interpretive depiction" of the ruins to inform future visitors.

The excavations revealed a large complex of buildings, including a circular central room with a number of rooms leading off it and a bath house.

Speaking in April 2021 Keith Emerick, Historic England's inspector of ancient monuments, said it was not clear what the building was used for but described it as a Roman version of a stately home, possibly owned by somebody of wealth and status.

He said the type of layout had "never been seen in Britain" and may be the first example "within the whole former Roman Empire".

Following the discovery Keepmoat changed its plan to build homes on the site and instead preserve the villa beneath a public open space.

A Keepmoat spokesperson said: "To inform visitors of the significance of the findings, we have submitted a landscaping design to the Local Planning Authority which will incorporate an interpretive depiction of the remains."

Mr Emerick added: "We are grateful to Keepmoat Homes for their sensitive and professional approach to helping ensure the future conservation of this important historical site."

Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].