Lullingstone Villa

The villa lies close to the river Darent. The first villa on the site was built of timber in the first
century AD. It was later re-modelled in masonry and a large bath-house added. It fell into
disrepair in the third century but was rebuilt in the fourth, with beautiful mosaics and wall-
paintings. Some of the symbolism in the mosaics and wall-paintings indicates that the owners in
this latter phase were Christians.

In the earliest of the stone built phases, the villa had a block of rooms with a verandah running
along the front with smaller projecting rooms at each end forming wings. A further
corridor/verandah ran along the back.
Towards the end of the 1st century the villa was extended, first with new ranges of rooms to the
north and south, linked to the original villa by narrow passages and later with a bath-house to the
south. During most of the third century the villa, like many others at a time of economic
depression in Britain, was neglected but by 275AD times were looking up. The north end was re-
modelled again, with three rooms gaining hypocaust (underfloor) heating systems. The baths
were also extended. In the mid fourth century the triclinium (dining room) was extended by a
semi-circular apse built into the West (rear) verandah. It is in this room, and its extension, that
the superb mosaics for which the villa is most famous were laid.

The mosaic in the main room is in the form of a square. In the middle is a cushion-shaped panel
showing Bellerophon, riding Pegasus, killing the Chimaera. The four corners of the square are
occupied by circular panels (one missing), which depict the four seasons in female form. One,
wearing a cloak, is clearly Winter, but the experts disagree on which the other two represent -
personally I reckon the one with the swallow on her shoulder is Summer and the one with the
garland of corn is Autumn, meaning that Spring is missing - but hey! You pays your money and
takes your choice! In the apse, the mosaic shows the Rape of Europa with the lady sitting on the
back of Jupiter (in the guise of a bull), looking remarkably carefree about the whole thing and
wearing not a lot more than an enigmatic smile.
Alongside this part of the villa is a display about how mosaics were made, complete with small
tiles and a large table to have a go. Several of the children (and Caz!) found this irresistible.
 Lullingstone Villa bust - now in British Museum

Our final destination for the day, Lullingstone Castle

report by Anne B
photos by Shaun and Alison R