North Leigh Roman Villa is having a moment as interest in the historic site grows

From MPs and university students to Cub Scouts and local history groups, North Leigh Roman Villa has welcomed a growing stream of visitors in 2026.

North Leigh Roman Villa is attracting visitors from increasingly far and wide, with a packed programme of talks, tours and special visits helping to shine a light on one of Oxfordshire’s most fascinating Roman sites.

The volunteers behind the site recently welcomed local MP Calum Miller, who visited in June to hear about the work being done to bring the villa’s history to life for modern visitors.

The visit follows a busy year for North Leigh Roman Villa. In April, volunteers gave an armchair talk at Blenheim Palace, which proved the best-supported event of its kind at the venue so far, while more than 60 people heard about the villa at a summer social organised by the Arts Society of West Oxfordshire in July.

The group has also welcomed Oxford University Classics candidates for a special opening arranged by Queen’s College, alongside members of the Bentley Drivers Club, Stonesfield Cub Scouts, Banbury Historical Society and a number of local history groups.

There have even been visits from Cotswold Wardens, while the volunteers are now looking ahead to a potential first international visit from Baden-Württemberg’s Archaeological Society. An archaeologist from Royal Holloway, University of London has also been in touch about potentially involving the site in a new research project.

At the heart of the site is its remarkably well-preserved Roman mosaic, which was reopened to visitors in 2019 after almost three decades. More than 10,900 people have since visited to see the mosaic in its original location.

The villa itself dates back around five centuries and was at its most extensive in the early fourth century AD, when it featured three bath suites, 16 mosaic floors and 11 rooms with underfloor heating.

Today, visitors can explore the footprint of the former villa and see the near-complete mosaic, which formed the floor of its winter dining room. The site has also gained a number of creative additions in recent years, including a full embroidery of the surviving mosaic, a Roman dining room soundscape and a digital reconstruction created in Minecraft.

The volunteers say more than 1,000 people have visited so far this year, while donations have also received a boost following the introduction of contactless card payments.

The next opportunity to visit comes during Heritage Open Days, with the mosaic open from 11am to 5pm on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September. Visitors are encouraged to bring a picnic and make a day of it.

Find out more about North Leigh Roman Villa and upcoming openings at English Heritage.

Share