SUSSEX ARCHAEOLOGICAL C OLLECTIONS 133 (1995), 10 3 -88 Excavations at Bignor Roman villa, West Sussex 1985-90 by F. Aldsworth & D.Rudling INTRODUCTION Excavations at Bignor Roman villa between 1985 and 1990, in association with a programme of conservation and repair, investigated various parts of the site including the main baths, the north-east corner of the villa, and the boundaries of both the domestic and farmyard areas. Investigations undertaken on the site of the main baths in 1985, 1987 and 1988 (Part 1 of this report) revealed evidence for occupation prior to the construction of the baths, including the masonry footings for half-timbered and masonry structures, and a sequence of constructional phases not only for the heated rooms and cold plunge bath, but also for the development of the courtyard villa itself As a consequence of the excavations the remains of the cold plunge were restored for display (Appendix 1) . Plough-damage assessment excavations in 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1990 (Part 2 of this re port) re-established the line of the surrounding wall of the villa, and confirmed that the villa had developed in the 4th century AD from a winged-corridor structure, through a phase where two long lines of rooms flanked the approach to th e earlier west wing, to a courtyard building with adjoining outer farmyard. Studies of finds from the 1985-1990 excavations provide additional information about both the economy and material culture of the site. This section of the report also includes a brief study of brick and tile found at Bignor before 1985 (Part 3 of this report). T his article reports on the results of excavations undertaken at Bignor Roman villa between 1985 and 1990. The excavations are part of the programme of major improvements and research on the villa which began in 1984-85 with the redisplay of the Site Museum. Excavations were also begun in 1985 by the County Council on the site of the main baths complex at the south-east corner of the courtyard villa, and these continued in 1987 and 1988 . The results of these excavations are contained in Part 1 of this report. Since the primary objective of the excavations was to assess the quality of any surviving remains, with the aim of long-term presentation if warranted, no attempt was made to excavate revealed features and deposits fully. Generally, only the surface of the last phase of archaeological features/deposits was revealed, cleaned and recorded. Very limited sampling was undertaken in order to obtain dating, economic and environmental evidence. During 1985 West Sussex County Council and the Field Archaeology Unit of University College London undertook plough-damage assessment excavations, on behalf of the owners and English Heritage, to the east of the courtyard villa in order to determine the quality and extent of any surviving remains of the Roman farmyard area (Fig. 2) . These were extended to the north, west and south sides of the courtyard villa by the County Council in 1986 and during 1990 the Field Archaeology Unit was commissioned by the trustees of the villa to examine five locations in or around the site. The results of these excavations are contained in Part 2 of this report. As a result of these investigations the entire area covered by the courtyard villa and the farmyard has been removed from arable cultivation, the former car park has been removed from its former position in the centre of the courtyard to a new site to the south, and repairs made to the remains of the cold