Roman finds under Antiques Roadshow expert’s patio
AN EXPERT on Antiques Roadshow has found the remains of an ancient Roman site under his patio.
Marc Allum began digging up the back garden at his 15th-century vicarage in Chippenham, Wilts, hoping to find a few items of local historical significance. Instead, he found the Roman remains, complete with various pieces of pottery, 4ft deep and just 20ft from his back door. Mr Allum and the small team of local archaeologists he had roped in to assist also found a Samian ware bowl made in France, which has images of a gladiator and a lion on it.
The valuation expert, who joined the BBC show in 1998, said he had been hoping to find the remains of an encampment used by Alfred the Great in the ninth century. But the Roman haul – which he thinks is the edge of a large cemetery – dates back approximately 2,000 years. He said: “I got talking to some local archaeologists and decided to start digging. That point in Chippenham is where King Alfred had been encamped. It’s very special – the evidence of Romans in Chippenham has been very scant.”
Marc Allum, a presenter on Antiques Roadshow, was digging up his garden in hopes of finding an encampment used by King Alfred the Great when, 4ft down, he struck upon the remains of a Roman site instead. So far, he has unearthed pieces of pottery, including a Samian Ware bowl from France decorated with images of a gladiator and a lion.
Gardens can contain wonders. In 2001, a retired gas meter reader in Norfolk found a Plesiosaur’s paddle bone in his rockery. It shows that our island is a palimpsest: periods of history are written on top of each other. As a Roadshow presenter, Mr Allum is doubtless delighted to add to our understanding of what lies beneath our feet – but there’s one question he hasn’t yet answered. What would he value his find at?