Was there a connection between rural Romano-Celtic temples and Romanised villas?: Lydney Temple and the Chesters Villa

Abstract

There has been a question in the field of Romano-British archaeology that has been asked consistently for many years, but an answer has, as yet, been elusive: who built the rural stone temples during the Roman occupation? This study will attempt to examine the question and look for what we need to know to answer such a question, using Lydney as an example. In general terms, it seems that the owners of the local villas appear to be the prime candidates. It was this group which possessed both the expendable capital and the social/political motivation for such an undertaking. The Roman provincial administration would have focused more upon the civic centres in the province for any public structures, and even this would have been of a limited nature. It is indeed doubtful that the provincial administration would have taken interest in any other than the Imperial temples. The majority of the population in the rural regions would not have had the capital for these structures, especially for a highly decorated structure such as the temple at Lydney Park. Therefore, it appears that the remaining group were the owners of the local villas. Naturally, the participation of the local rural elite in building these temples is difficult to prove conclusively, but before examining the known material, the nature of the question and its implications should be addressed.