Roman Villa

Step back in time and discover life in Roman Norfolk

Roman Villa: A Day in the Life brings Roman Britain to life through an immersive augmented reality (AR) experience inspired by real archaeological discoveries in Norfolk. The villa you can explore in the app is inspired by the remains of a real Roman villa uncovered in Norfolk during construction of the onshore infrastructure for some of RWE’s offshore wind farms. This work opened a rare window into the past, allowing archaeologists to investigate the site in detail and uncover rich evidence of everyday life in a Romano-British household. The virtual villa has been carefully created using expert archaeological interpretation. Its design, layout and rooms are based on the foundations, features and artefacts found during excavation. Many of the objects you encounter are real artefacts discovered on site, meticulously recorded and analysed before being digitally recreated for the app. Step inside the villa and discover daily life through the eyes of the Aurelii family. Using AR, you can explore rooms, examine artefacts in 3D and uncover stories about the daily lives of the Aurelii family, building a vivid picture of how people lived 2000 years ago. Designed for curiosity-led exploration, the app blends storytelling, archaeology and learning. Themed modules explore clothing, food, education, religion, health, hygiene and household routines, all grounded in archaeological evidence and current research. Artefacts appear in your own space, allowing you to view them up close and learn how they were made, used and found. Whether you are a pupil, teacher, family, local resident or history enthusiast, Roman Villa: A Day in the Life offers an engaging way to connect with Roman Britain and experience archaeology in a hands-on, interactive way. Additional learning materials and further information to support classroom and group use are available from the project team. Please contact norfolk@rwe.com to find out more.

Key features:

• Explore a Roman villa in AR, based on real archaeological remains
• Rooms and layouts shaped by expert interpretation
• Digitally recreated artefacts discovered during excavation
• Story-led exploration of everyday life in Roman Britain
• Curriculum-aligned educational content
• Developed with archaeologists and educators