A remarkable Roman find can be discovered hidden amongst the modern houses on a Newport estate. This Romano-British farmstead, referred to locally as Newport Roman Villa, dates from the end of the 3rd century, c280 AD, and is an excellent example of a 'corridor' type Roman villa.

Newport Roman Villa was first discovered in 1926 when a local man was laying the foundations for a garage. Subsequently, the site was excavated and the floor plan revealed. The villa is believed to have had a relatively short occupation, around 100 years only, and as a result the building remained largely unaltered throughout that time.

Although not considered as grand as its neighbour at Brading, Newport Roman Villa has probably one of the best preserved Roman bath houses surviving in Britain today. A changing room connects with a cold plunge pool, which still has part of its lead piping in situ, and a suite of rooms of varying temperature followed through to the semi-circular hot plunge bath at the far end. At this point the hot air box flues, which were built within the actual wall structure, can be seen clearly. Much well preserved hypocaust pilae (small pillars of tile that supported a raised floor) are still in evidence, and these would have allowed hot air from an external furnace to circulate under the stone floor they once supported.

There are also three rooms with the remains of tessellated floors, the largest of which has the unusual feature of a fireplace at the far end. A surprising feature of the Newport Roman Villa is that most of the walls remain standing to their original height. However, it should be borne in mind that, with the exception of the bath suite, the main superstructure would have been constructed from timber and plaster, on top of a lower masonry course. Fragments of glass and fine painted wall plaster were found during excavations, suggesting that several of the key rooms would have been finished to a high standard.

Several rooms have been recreated within the complex, giving the visitor an opportunity to experience just how a Roman family would have lived. Outside, a compact herb garden has been reconstructed to provide an insight into the many plants first introduced by the Romans. Among these are the well-used culinary herbs Rosemary and Sage and the common Stinging Nettle, which was incorporated in a variety of medicinal preparations.