THE Friends of Chippenham Museum have almost reached their £1000 target for the restoration of a Roman bowl discovered in a back garden off St Mary Street .

The Samian Ware bowl was discovered in pieces during an excavation in 2017 and 2018 by archaeologists Mike Stone and Clive Green.The design on the pot is clear to see, depicting a gladiator and a lion.

The Friends of the Museum are raising funds to get the pot professionally restored at the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre. At first they aimed for £500 towards the cost, then decided to fund the full cost.

"This type of pottery was mostly made in Gaul and was imported into Britain in large quantities," said Chippenham Museum curator Melissa Barnett. "It dates to the late first to early second century. Whatever the outcome of the archaeologists report we can say that this is positive evidence of a Roman structure in the centre of Chippenham."

A facsimile of the pot is also being made.

The Friends newsletter reports that the discovery was totally unexpected, and one of the best things found in the town.

"Hopefully the pot will be fully restored and on display at the museum in the next exhibition 'What’s in Store – behind the scenes at the museum’ which opens in February," Melissa said.

The bowl was discovered beneath Antiques Roadshow presenter Marc Allum's Chippenham back garden as the third dig for King Alfred's Court got underway.

Instead of finding the Saxons though, the presenter and the archaeologists discovered the remains of a Roman grave - complete with Roman pottery of all shapes and sizes underneath the floor of a medieval building.

Samian Ware - also called Terra Sigillata - was a form of Roman tableware, often decorated with animals, gods and gladiators, and the most commonly used high quality pottery in Roman Britain.