Could a hole in a field near the North Downs hold the answers to your energy price woes this winter?

Archaeological excavations on farmland near Trottiscliffe have revealed a Roman villa and bathhouse, along with the remains of an ancient, yet ingenious, underfloor heating system.

The discovery of a partially intact 'hypocaust' system came during a dig led by the Kent Archaeological Society (KAS), who were helped by Trottiscliffe villagers on a community excavation last month.

Site director Richard Taylor, who led the dig along with KAS general secretary Clive Drew, explained the presence of the hypocaust - which heated the bathhouse - suggested the occupants were reasonably high status.

"There's hundreds of villas over Kent, but the fact there's a hypocaust system is rare," he said. "I think this one has county significance.

"The whole building would have been heated and it would have been a bit like a Turkish bath."

"The hypocaust would have had a wood fire - that produced hot air, which would go around the pillars under the floor and heat the building above.

And it was the discovery of one such pillar - known as a pilae stack - which pointed to the presence of such a system at Trottiscliffe's villa.

The state of the art-technology meant Romans were enjoying central heating more than 2000 years ago - and when the Roman Empire fell in the 5th Century their technology died out in Britain, leaving British homes without central heating for centuries.

But don't go digging up the foundations of your home just yet.

As attractive as an underfloor wood-fired central heating system might sound while prices of gas and electric continue to soar, it wouldn't have been cheap.

"Operating a hypocaust was expensive and required a significant workforce," added Richard. "The Romans used laid tile for their floors and ceramic tile for their walls. Sealing the home's interior was essential to prevent smoke and harmful gases from escaping into rooms.

"A hypocaust system would've ensured warm and inviting spaces if working correctly, but due to the expense and the labour needed to tend the fires, hypocausts were limited to villas of the wealthy and public bathhouses...1700 years ago, heating your home was expensive, so nothing has changed!"

So Roman technology might not hold the answer to today's energy crisis - but the excavations at Trottiscliffe have given an fascinating glimpse into Roman Britain.

Part of the wider Trosley Heritage Project, the dig uncovered a number of artefacts, including an Amphora shaped belt adornment (dated to around 375AD), a Roman key, two coins, a piece of painted wall plaster still showing vibrant colours, pottery, and the cobbled floor surface at the entrance to the Bath House.

The KAS team first identified the location of the villa, on farmland, using Google Earth images - which showed crop markings outlining the site during the summer.

September's dig was carried out with the help of 50 volunteers, and members of the Trottiscliffe community were invited to view artefacts.

"Overall it was a big success," added Richard. "We proved the presence of a local building, and had lots of local visits and lots of school visits. So it was really good.

"We were certain we would find something, but didn't know we'd find something this nice.

"We plan to return next year with another community excavation on the villa and bathhouse."

From dating the pottery and the plaster finds, the team were able to estimate the villa dated back to the 3rd or 4th Century, and Richard suggested it was likely to have been occupied by a wealthy farmer and farm workers.

But these Romano-British farmers weren't the first in the area - the nearby Coldrum Long Barrow dates back to around 3900BC, meaning some of the nearby land was being farmed for thousands of years before the Romans.

Richard added: "This suggests a likely continuity of settlement in the area that goes back c.5000 years, which is not surprising given its idyllic location and agricultural potential. The Roman Villa is likely just one episode in a much greater time frame."