At the entrance to the theme park at Lightwater Valley, just outside of the village of North Stainley are the remains of some earthworks. They represent the perimeter of a structure identified as a Roman villa, known as Castle Dykes.
The villa was partially excavated in the mid 19th century and a conclusion was reached that at least one phase had met a catastrophic end through fire. Later phases were built to replace the structure but not on such a grand scale.
From the small number of recorded finds it suggested a period of occupation from the second to the fourth century.
It was believed that the remains of the largest part of the building's foundations are now under the access road to the theme park, although aerial photography might suggest otherwise.
The excavation was published by the Reverand W C Lukis in the Archaeological Journal, 35, 1875, pp 135-154.
