History and heritageMuseumsFamily days out

Rockbourne Roman Villa

Rockbourne, New Forest

The remains of the largest known Roman villa complex in the area, found in 1942 when a farmer's dog digging out a ferret turned up oyster shells and mosaic tiles. Visitors walk among the outlines of the villa's forty rooms, bath houses and workshops, then see mosaics and finds in the small museum.

Highlights

Mosaics and part of the underfloor heating system
A hoard of 7,717 Roman coins, with 493 on display
Replica of the Byzantine Breamore bucket
Roman dressing up and handling real artefacts
Family trail around the site

Good to know

Dogs on leads are welcome in the grounds but not in the museum; there are no dog waste bins, though bags are provided
Picnics are welcome in the grounds
Craft activities and events run in the school holidays while the site is open

Getting there

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Rockbourne Roman Villa, Rockbourne Road, Rockbourne, near Fordingbridge, Hampshire, SP6 3PGParking: Check website. It is a rural site, so use the postcode SP6 3PG in a sat nav.

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Checked on 19 October 2026 against hampshireculture.org.uk, hampshireculture.org.uk. Details change, so please confirm with the venue before you travel. How we check

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Where: Rockbourne Road, Rockbourne, near Fordingbridge, Hampshire, SP6 3PG
Price: Under £10. Adult £5.50, child (5 to 15) £4, concession £4.50, family (up to five people, no more than two adults) £17.50. Under 5s go free, and a ticket gives unlimited visits for a year.
Opening: Seasonal. The 2026 season ran from 4 April to 27 September, on Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays from 11am to 4.30pm (last admission 4pm), so the villa is closed over the winter. 2027 dates were not yet published, so check before you travel.
Time needed: 1 to 2 hours
Dogs: Dog friendly
Parking: Check website. It is a rural site, so use the postcode SP6 3PG in a sat nav.
Access: Ramps give a view of the villa remains, but the site is mostly grass with no paths and uneven ground, which can make wheelchair use difficult.

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