Antiques Roadshow presenter Marc Allum uncovers Roman horde in his own back garden Digging a hole for himself? Many of us are guilty of taking our jobs home with us and Marc Allum […]

Digging a hole for himself?

Many of us are guilty of taking our jobs home with us and Marc Allum definitely falls into that category – albeit unwittingly. The Antiques Roadshow presenter has discovered the remains of an ancient Roman site under his patio while digging up his back garden.



That’ll be worth a few bob

Mr Allum had hoped to uncover a few trinkets but got more than he bargained for when it emerged his 15th-century vicarage home in Chippenham, Wiltshire, concealed a Roman site packed with valuable artefacts, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Sounds like it’ll take more than a metal detector and a shovel to get to the bottom of that

The unwitting archaeologist enlisted a team of experts who helped him uncover various pieces of pottery four feet underground, situated 20 feet from his back door. The grounds were also home to a Samian Ware bowl made in France, featuring renderings of a gladiator and a lion.

You won’t find that in your average homewares department

The Roman treasure was produced long before Ikea came on the scene. Mr Allum said the haul dates back approximately 2,000 years.



He can’t get away from the antique artefacts, can he?

“I got talking to some local archaeologists and decided to start digging,” The Telegraph quoted Mr Allum as saying. “That point in Chippenham is where King Alfred had been encamped.” He described the finds as “very special”, explaining “the evidence of Romans in Chippenham has been very scant”.

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What’s he done with the treasure trove?

The presenter said he had given everything to a local museum. “It’s not what you expect to find,” he said. “ I’m completely mesmerised by the whole thing.”

@kt_grant