Spoonley Wood Roman Mosaic
There is no road nearby, no car park, no sign posts, no gift shop or guide, no easy access. You have to walk miles across fields and along bridleways passing sheep, cows, abandoned farm buildings and an old mill pond.
The only indication you have found it is a little information board, down a muddy track in a small clearing in the middle of the wood. Without it you could easily walk past it never knowing it was there, just some crumbling walls and a low wooden structure covered in corrugated iron, ivy and moss.
You have to bend low and scramble to get in. In front of you are pieces of a ratty tarpaulin weighed down with rocks. Remove these and there it is, a floor piece thousands of years old, still showcasing the incredible craftmanship that went into its making.
The sense of history is tangible, because for once this slice of Roman remains is not heavily curated, behind stancions and a rope or seperated from you by some gleaming glass case in a museum. Instead it sits beneath your feet, and its ancient texture can be felt by your fingertips.
Here you can truly feel you are walking in the footsteps of Romans two thousand years before.
You can start your walk at the small village of Charlton Abbots on the slopes above and enjoy the views from its perfectly formed, 13th century Church of St Martin. Drop down to the bottom of the valley and follow the stream through the fields until you join a stony farm track. Turn right and it will lead to a small complex of largely abandoned farm buildings. Down a short path off the track are the eerie remains of a old mill pond that conjurs memories of old public safety films and some ruins of the mill machinery.
From there you cross a field and enter the woods themselves, finding the remains of the villa after a short walk. If fully sated you can go back across the field and take a higher path back to Charlton Abbots, or you can walk onwards to Winchcombe itself, past Sudeley Castle.
At Sudeley Castle you can turn left and head up Cleeve Hill towards Belas Knap, the famous Neolithic chambered long barrow and one of the distinctive Cotswold Severn Carins, a series of barrows found scattered along the Severn Valley. It is a steep climb up but it rewards with sweeping views down to Winchcombe and beyond into the Vale of Evesham.
Alternatively you can explore Sudeley Castle followed a stroll around Winchcombe and a fine pub lunch in one of several inns in the village.
From experience I know there are several dog-unfriendly stiles and fields full of livestock, so be advised if you are taking a hound! Footpaths in the depths of a Cotswolds winter can be extremely muddy so suitable footwear is advised.
Both the Spoonley Wood Mosaic and Belas Knap are free to visit, but Sudeley Castle does charge for entry.
A James Cole
