General Chat

can anyone tell me if it is worth a visit , on paper it looks as if it should be ,but it is a long drive from us , about 70 miles , so we might have to book in somewhere over night . :-)

We went many moons ago I remember the beautiful mosaic floors that have been fenced off and are under a modern structure to preserve them

It was a long drive for us as we live in Kent but we did the trip in one day


Have a look here

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bignor_Roman_Villa

Would you believe got 504 gateway error. Then when trying to get back in got the error page

I didn't double click to post but it did double post ,
Have deleted one posting !!

Thought the error page was sorted but seems not :-0 :-|

I just had it too, I hope we are not going back to that again, hope it was just a blip, has been lovely without it.

AKA Fishbourne Palace.
Wonderful place, beautiful large mosaic floors, well designed visitor facilities.
Go for it you will not be disappointed.

Rollo - Bignor Villa is NOT Fishbourne Palace, so no AKA should be involved.

From Shirley's link
The villa is situated just north of the South Downs close to Stane Street, about 9 miles north-east of Chichester (the Roman city of Noviomagus Reginorum) and >>the nearby and much larger Fishbourne Roman Palace.<<<

Bignor Roman Villa official site
https://www.bignorromanvilla.co.uk/

Fishbourne
https://sussexpast.co.uk/properties-to-discover/fishbourne-roman-palace

Although we've never visited Bignor RV, we'd certainly recommend Fishbourne.

There you go all these years I thought Bignor was just another name for Fishbourne. They are not very far apart and I guess both could be visited on the same day.

Evidently I have never been to Bignor either but can def. say Fthat ishbourne is one of the best places in the UK to visit.

Actually, its good that Iris started this thread. We'd read last year about a smaller Roman Villa near Petsworth but couldn't for the life of us remember what it was called.

Unless someone has other ideas, it does seem to be Bignor.

I went there on a school outing but the Romans had not long left then.

It would be possible to get Fishbourne and the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum in if you made a little break of it.

You can get up to the top of the downs in a car (or you could) where you can get a good gyke at the surrounding country. I think two Roman roads cross up there. Too close to home, and my old drinking territory, have not been up there in thirty years!

Chichester is Novia Magus and I am not sure about when it was known as Regnum but the city museum is The Regnum Museum and is off West Street, right by the cathedral.

It is also possible to walk round a good part of the Roman walls, part of which pass through the Bishop's garden which is beautiful.

I am not too far away if you fancy meeting for a pint!

Oh we did Fishbourne for a school trip too :-)

Fishbourne had only just about opened when I left school.

I have lied as well. The new museum is called Novium.

Can't even remember the year we went but I do remember going there. A bit grander than the one I saw on the Isle of Wight I think off the top of my head at Sandown might be wrong though...

The only time I went to Bignor was when the romans had just got the floor laid and they had gone back to Rome for their holiday I pass the site once a week, one day I,ll stop to see if they are back yet

Bignor is well worth a visit. The Weald and Downland is also, but allow all day. I believe a ticket to the W & D allows for return visits.

thanks for the info ,folks , we will be going ,but not sure when ..hubby has a few health appointments over the next few weeks ,and he quite often has bad days .so it will be a case of , come on the sun is shining ,we are going out .
iris :-D
it doesn't look as if we shall make it this year, our son is very poorly in hospital (he had to have a kidney removed) and 8 pints of blood replaced . so hubby has had to go back to work to help advise the boys who work for the family firm . I've not seen my son so weak and helpless since he was a babe in arms ,this is going to be a very long job .
Sharron, we will have to take a rain check on that drink ,kind of you to ask . iris