The villa was first discovered in 1887 and was fully excavated in 1938-39 and 1948.[1] There was another excavation in 1971.[1][2]
The site may have been occupied in the late Iron Age.[1] The first stone structure was erected in the 2nd century. The site developed slowly and, it has been suggested, was even abandoned for a while during the 3rd century. By the 4th century, there was an L-shaped villa with fine mosaic floors, a large aisled building possibly for farm workers and a number of smaller agricultural structures almost enclosing a central courtyard.[1]
Part of the site was used as a cemetery in the early medieval period.[1] The excavations of 1971 uncovered two burials which had been dug through the tesselated pavement of rooms 8/9.[2] Another contorted skeleton was recovered from the corridor.[2]
No evidence has been found to support the suggestion that the villa was somehow associated with Saint Illtud who founded the church at Llantwit Major in the 6th century.
