This is a project update for our Roman Villa Renovation work - read more about it here!At half past eight on Monday morning a large white van, towing a solid little trailer, trundled through the five barred gate, past the curious goats, through the Iron Age enclosure to the Roman villa. An auspicious day in the history of our Roman villa began, as Phase 1 of the Roman Renovations, paid for by the generous donations of Butser fans and supporters in last year’s crowdfunding campaign, was launched.Last week, the site team and volunteers worked tirelessly to clear the villa, spending hours sorting, storing and sweeping to prepare the way for sandblasterer, John Grant. John, Director of Airstrip Ltd in Titchfield, and son Toby, quickly extracted entrails of pipes and nozzles from the van. Donning a spacelike helmet, John entered the villa. A man on a mission. A flick of a switch, and the compressor on the trailer burst into life with a hungry roar. The sandblasting had begun!Throughout the day, dust poured from the windows of the villa and everyone kept their distance letting man and monster do their work. John methodically worked his magic on the beams and ceiling of each room, clearing off the flaking limewash paint to reveal golden wooden beams beneath. After a day’s hard work, John and Toby had cleaned all the wood they could reach and retired for the day.The ground team then moved in, armed with brooms to sweep up all the sand before any moisture crept in, which would create a gluey mess on the floor. First day done and two more sandblasting days to go to bring the ceilings and beams to a gleaming finish. Once the sandblasting has been completed, the villa will be accessible again until the beginning of June, when renovations begin in earnest.Watch this space for renovation updates!
