A £100,000 fundraising drive has been launched to renovate the Roman villa at Butser Ancient Farm.
To kick start the fundraising, an initial target of £2,000 has been set so that wooden beams in the villa can be sandblasted.
Project spokesman Tiffany Francis said: “The villa was built 13 years ago and today around 30,000 schoolchildren and 20,000 visitors come to the farm every year, and, as a consequence, the villa is starting to look tired, and needs renovating.
“We also plan to put mosaics on what at the moment is effectively an earth floor.”
To lay the new floors, specialist mosaic designers and layers will be brought in, but volunteers will also be needed.
Tiffany said: “It would be nice to involve as many people as possible, and volunteers will be able to learn new skills and be part of a truly unique experience.
“There will also be historical and archeological experiments carried out.
“For example was opus signinum, the Roman version of concrete waterproof, and if so, could it have a wider use today?”
The project will see internal walls taken right up to roof level and finished with lime plaster.
The floors will also be levelled and a layer of opus signinum added to provide a base for the mosaics.
Finally, the roof will be repaired and the outside of the building restored.
The project will pave the way for future schemes on the site, such as a replica Roman garden in the space outside the villa on the ancient farm at Chalton.
Tiffany said: “The villa is also home to the Roman Legion re-enactment group, and they are keen for it to be smartened up, so more people can get a real feel for what life was like in a working Roman villa.”
Email [email protected] for details, or visit Butser Ancient Farm’s website www.butserancientfarm.co.uk