From new archaeological finds emerging during major development work to rediscovered luxury villas with heated flooring, Bedfordshire’s ancient past is once again coming into focus.
When people think of Roman Britain, it is usually the great bathhouses of Bath or the majestic Hadrian’s Wall that spring to mind. Bedfordshire is rarely part of that picture.
That may be about to change.
Archaeological investigations linked to the Universal Studios UK development have already uncovered numerous Roman artefacts, including Romano-British pottery and ceramic building material.
With the project receiving its Special Development Order approval on 16 December 2025, further archaeological work is expected as the development moves forward, bringing fresh attention to the area’s Roman past.
Those discoveries sit alongside some of the most significant Roman archaeology already uncovered in the county – including a richly decorated villa complex hidden beneath a Bedford school – adding to a growing picture of how active and significant parts of Bedfordshire once were under the Romans.
A villa fit for the elite
At the heart of Bedford’s Roman story is the Bedford Roman Villa Project, centred on land beneath Edith Cavell Primary School and a nearby care home.
The site first came to light in 2010, when redevelopment work uncovered fragments of painted wall plaster. What followed was a discovery that has steadily grown in significance.
Excavations have revealed a substantial villa complex positioned on a south-facing slope, safely above the River Great Ouse floodplain – prime real estate in Roman Britain.
Archaeologists have also identified parts of a hypocaust system, the Roman method of underfloor heating that used hot air circulating beneath raised floors – a technology that continues to influence modern underfloor heating systems today.
Other features include the base of a cold plunge pool and a remarkably rare find: the footprint of a child’s shoe pressed into wet plaster. Dating to between AD 250 and 300, the style of shoe would only have been worn by children from the wealthiest families.
What truly sets the site apart, however, is the quality of its decoration. Stephen Cockings, the project’s lead archaeologist, has previously described the painted stucco wall plaster as being without parallel elsewhere in Roman Britain, suggesting rooms of exceptional status.
With community dig seasons continuing year by year, archaeologists and volunteers involved with the villa project excavation are gearing up for further fieldwork in 2026, with the villa likely to play an even bigger role in revealing more about Bedford’s Roman past.
But Manton Heights was certainly not the only place where Roman communities thrived locally.
A Roman spa at Priory Park
Excavations at Priory Park, carried out in the 1970s before gravel extraction reshaped the landscape, revealed a prosperous Romano-British farmstead complete with its own private bathhouse.
The bath suite included cold, warm, and hot rooms, all heated using the underfloor hypocaust system. For its occupants, bathing was not just about hygiene but social status and well-being.
The presence of stone buildings and tiled roofs suggests a very comfortable standard of living, while personal items recovered from the site included grooming tools, copper cosmetic applicators, and small caskets for valuables.
Sandy: Bedfordshire’s Roman powerhouse
If Bedfordshire had a Roman urban centre, it was Sandy. Located at the junction of key Roman roads, Sandy developed into a busy small town known for pottery production, metalworking, and trade.
Its importance was confirmed in 2018 with the discovery of the county’s first known Roman town wall. Archaeological finds from the area include coins, brooches, bronze vessels and a rare stamp belonging to an oculist, or eye doctor.
A vast cemetery at Tower Hill, used over several centuries, provides further evidence of a settled and enduring community. Some of these finds are now displayed at Sandy Town Council offices, where members of the public can view them during opening hours.
Roman Bedfordshire – more finds beneath our feet
Across the county, further discoveries continue to highlight the scale of Roman activity locally:
- Tempsford: Roadworks on the A428 uncovered a large farmstead occupied for around 700 years, including a pottery kiln (with misfired pots still inside) and a grain-drying oven likely used for malting.
- Kempston: There is longstanding evidence of Roman activity across the area, including coins, pottery, brooch fragments and signs of Iron Age and Romano-British occupation.
- Totternhoe: A substantial villa with mosaic floors and painted walls once stood here. Finds from the area include a bronze winged phallus, a common Roman good-luck charm.
With archaeological investigations already revealing more Roman activity at the Universal Studios UK site, further work linked to the development may yet uncover more evidence of Bedfordshire’s ancient past.
- For more updates from the development, head to universalukproject.co.uk
- You can follow progress on the Bedford Roman Villa Project at facebook.com/BedfordRomanVilla
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