It's "unlikely" we'll see Rutland's famous Roman villa, archaeologists say
Rutland's Roman mosaic has been described as one of the most amazing discoveries of its kind in the UK
Experts say it's "unlikely" we'll ever get to visit Rutland's famous Roman villa complex.
Archaeologists who first dug up the famous Roman mosaic in Rutland have since described it as 'unlike anything else in the UK'.
READ MORE: 'It could change our understanding of life in late Roman Britain': Rutland's ancient villa complex
READ MORE: Rutland's Roman mosaic unlike anything else in UK, expert says
Following more excavation of the site, they found remnants of an entire Roman villa complex - which 'could change our understanding of Roman history'.
But, with further digging paused for now, there's been debate over what might happen to the historic find and whether it will remain in Rutland.
Organiser of this month's Festival of Leicestershire and Rutland Archaeology, Peter Liddle, says his colleagues must've collectively done more than 70 talks on the discovery.
He tells us it's located in one of the most difficult places to access in the county, and that the closest visitors will be able to get will likely be through photos in Rutland County Musuem:
'It would be possible to lift the mosaic and move it somewhere else, but the possibility of actually building over the mosaic so people could see it is unlikely.'
He added: 'There are similar sites with a cover building over the top, but it's just that tactical problem of access that makes it very difficult, even if it was possible to find the money.'
'The most likely thing is that there will be detailed images of the villa on display at Rutland County Museum, but it's not likely, short-term, that we'll get anything on-site.'