The Roman villa site at Alpheton villa is one of several substantial villa complexes in Suffolk and it is in the vicinity of the large roadside settlement of Long Melford, located close to a Roman road linking Chelmsford with the Roman small towns at Long Melford and Pakenham. It also lies near the boundary between the territories of the Iceni and the Trinovantes, the two British tribes centrally involved in the Boudiccan rebellion of AD 60-61. First identified by the landowner, archaeological investigations since the 1980s have shown that the villa site extends across more than 15 hectares.
This summer, archaeological excavations will be undertaken at Alpheton building on these previous investigations, and this year marks the start of an exciting collaboration between Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service (SCCAS) and the University College London (UCL) Institute of Archaeology, as part of the Romans Unearthed project funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Over June and July, a team of professional archaeologists, UCL students, and local volunteers will be working together to investigate parts of the villa complex, including buildings, enclosure ditches and a bath house. UCL is leading the fieldwork as it forms part of their undergraduate field school, giving students essential training in archaeological fieldwork while contributing to new research. At the same time, SCCAS through the Romans Unearthed project will involve local people focussing on primary schools, Suffolk Mind and Suffolk Family Carers, who may not otherwise have the chance to take part in archaeology.
Explore the information below to learn more about the discoveries. The Alpheton Roman villa site is on private farmland and there is no public access to the excavations. Book onto a public site tour using the link below.
Public Site Tours 11th July 2026 (Advanced booking only)
Site tours will take place for the public to attend at the end of the excavation season to see the work in progress and learn more about the discoveries from the professional archaeologists. This is an outdoor walking tour, over muddy uneven terrain in a field (under 18s must be accompanied by an attending adult, young children must be supervised at all times, the site is not suitable for prams or pets.
Advanced booking is essential. More details on the Eventbrite link below.
Book onto a site tour 11th July via Eventbrite »New Discoveries
Check out the articles below for updates following the excavation as it progresses.
Week 1 & 2 (2026) - Unearthing Alpheton Roman Villa
The team have been setting up the site, getting the facilities delivered and opening up the trenches. Read the article to find out more about what we already know about Alpheton villa and what we hope to investigate this summer.
Read the "Unearthing Alpheton Roman Villa" article on our blog »
Week 3 & 4 (2026) - The Excavations at Alpheton
come back in a few weeks for the next update
Community involvement is funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The archaeological excavations are supported by lead partner University College London, Institute of Archaeology
