Wantage's MP has visited a Roman villa discovered through an archaeological dig at a housing development in Grove.
David Johnston was invited to Brookside Meadows to see a range of archaeological finds as well as the progress being made by homebuilders Barratt and David Wilson Homes.
Brookside Meadows, situated on Denchworth Road in Grove, has been inhabited since the Bronze age.
It has a villa complex with painted plaster and mosaics, and a hall-like 'aisled building'.
Construction at the property development, featuring a total of 83 homes including 11 affordable ones, is well underway.
To support biodiversity, the developers have pledged to ensure nature preservation on site.
Brookside Meadows will feature hedgehog highways, swift bricks, and bat bricks.
The show home gardens are being created following RSPB Gold standard to support wildlife.
During his visit, Mr Johnston met with Jason Atkinson and Dane Vincent from Barratt and David Wilson Homes, who shared an insight into the progression of the latest community to form in Grove.
Mr Johnston said: "I was delighted to be invited to take a tour of the recently uncovered Roman Villa in Grove.
"It was great to see that they are uncovering the rest of it while safely removing and preserving the relics they have found including coins, bones, and pottery.
"It is an incredibly exciting find, and I really enjoyed my visit."
Some of the artefacts found include a horse-headed belt buckle from AD 350 to 450, miniature votive axes, hundreds of coins, and Samian style red-slip tableware.
Campbell Gregg, managing director at Barratt and David Wilson Homes Southern, said: “It was a pleasure to welcome David Johnston MP to our Brookside Meadows development to showcase the progress we’ve made onsite in Grove.
“We’re fascinated to learn of the site’s rich heritage, and it’s been fantastic to work with Red River Archaeology to share the news of the archaeological findings, which are of national and international interest.”
Another discovery is the assemblage of blank tightly-coiled lead scrolls that recall Roman 'curse tablets'.
Combined with findings like the miniature votive axes, they suggest a ritual or pilgrimage destination somewhere on the estate.
Francesca Giarelli, project officer at Red River Archaeology Group, said: "The site is far more complex than a regular rural site and clearly was an important centre of activities for a long time, from the Bronze Age to the later Roman period."
The housing development will also provide charging points for electric vehicles and equip each home with solar panels.
The development will comprise one and two bedroom apartments and three, four and five bedroom houses.
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