A hidden Roman villa? A pair of "remarkable" swords might have just unlocked its ancient secrets

The spathae were discovered during a metal detecting rally in the Cotswolds in March 2023. For the detectorist who found the swords, Glenn Manning, it was a case of beginner’s luck: “Finding two swords in the same spot was amazing. The morning before the rally, I had a feeling I would find something special. This was only my second time metal detecting.”

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The find was reported to the Portable Antiquities Scheme (a government programme in England and Wales that encourages the public to officially record archaeological objects), and Historic England then carried out geophysical survey work on the site, revealing the potential of extensive Iron Age and Roman settlement.

Following excavations across January and February 2025, archaeologists from Historic England and Cotswold Archaeology confirmed the existence of the Iron Age site, along with evidence of a possible Roman villa contemporary with the swords. The settlements, located near the village of Willersey, were previously unknown.

Unclear ownership

The precise relationship between the swords and the surrounding settlement site isn’t yet clear, but post-excavation analysis is underway to establish further evidence. If the presence of a high-status Roman villa in the vicinity of the spathae is proven, it may help to explain the circumstances in which they were deposited.

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Professor Simon James, an expert on Roman warfare based at the University of Leicester, said that the discovery was unusual.

“Finding a Roman sword in Britain is a rare event; finding two together like this is remarkable – and they are in good enough condition to say something of how they were constructed. These were high-quality blades, which were in their scabbards when buried.

“But they were without the elaborate shoulder-belts on which soldiers carried such weapons. This is one of the clues we need to consider in trying to understand how and why they came to be buried where they were found.”

It's not necessarily the case that the swords were owned by soldiers. As Professor James notes, it was legal for provincial citizens to possess these types of weapons. It remains to be seen whether the analysis will shed any light on who actually owned the swords, and where in the empire they may have hailed from.

A new definition of ‘treasure’

In the meantime, the swords have been preserved and will be displayed at the Corinium Museum in Cirencester from August this year. Emma Stuart, director of the museum, said: “It’s a privilege to acquire such rare artefacts. This valuable addition of Roman weaponry at the museum broadens the story of life in the Cotswolds during the mid-to-late Roman period.”

The fact that the swords will be on public display is due to the generosity of both the finder and landowner. At the time they were discovered, the spathae were not covered by the 1996 Treasure Act, as they do not contain the precious metals that would have qualified them to be classed as ‘treasure’ and thus subject to a claim by the Crown. Instead, they could have been retained or sold by their owners.

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However, an amendment to the Treasure Act came into force in July 2023, just four months after the swords were discovered. This widened the criteria for treasure to include items that were of national significance, by virtue of one or more of the following conditions: their rarity as an example of their type found in the United Kingdom; the location, region or part of the United Kingdom in which they were found; or their connection with a particular person or event.

How a helmet changed the law

The change to the law followed a long-running debate over the Crosby Garrett helmet, a piece of Roman cavalry equipment discovered in Cumbria in 2010. It’s a remarkable copper-alloy helmet, with a human face mask beneath a pointed Phrygian cap, topped by a griffin.

Like the swords, the helmet also fell outside the bounds of treasure, but in this case the owners decided to sell it. The local museum, Tullie House in Carlisle, mounted a funding campaign, but it was sold at auction to a private bidder for over £2 million. This proved to be the catalyst for change.

In a recent episode of the HistoryExtra podcast, Michael Lewis (head of the Portable Antiquities Scheme) and Ian Richardson (senior treasure registrar at the British Museum), discussed the saga surrounding the helmet.

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“There was no requirement for the finder or landowner to actually hand [the helmet] in to be processed under the Treasure Act because it wasn't made of precious metal and it wasn't prehistoric in date,” said Richardson.

“In the treasure legislation, there was a new amendment to the Treasure Act that was passed in 2023 to include objects made of metal that provide an exceptional insight into our history or archaeology or culture. And that was really inspired by the case of this discovery.”

Had that amendment been in place in early 2023, it’s possible that the swords would have fallen under this wider definition of treasure. However, the weapons were donated anyway, and will now find their home on a public display at the Corinium Museum from August.

David Musgrove will be discussing the spathae at Cirencester’s Corinium Museum with their finder, Glenn Manning, and Roman sword expert Professor Simon James as part of the Cirencester History Festival on Wednesday 29 October 2025.