Blog - So the mystery behind the graffiti plastered on the roof of a replica Roman villa while it was being built at Wroxeter has finally been solved.

Shropshire viewers watching the Channel 4 documentary series “Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day” might well remember a Shropshire Star story last summer when we reported on the huge red lettering on the roof of the villa at the ancient site, near Shrewsbury.

The words “Romans had wheelbarrows” could be clearly seen from distances around.

At the time an unnamed source told us that the graffiti was in protest against workers being asked to use modern technology for the project, despite claims by TV crews that only tools from the period would be used.

But in last night’s episode of the TV series we learned it was actually because the workers wanted to use wheelbarrows.

Anyone watching the six-week programme will not have failed to pick up on a long-running dispute between Professor Dai Morgan-Evans, the archaeologist behind the project, and the builders after he banned them from using wheelbarrows.

But after enough arguing and swearing from the builders to make the Shropshire sky clear blue the Professor reluctantly backed down and allowed barrows on site.

In last night’s episode the touchy Professor, reading the news story said; “I was hoping we would be in the news, not for these reasons.”

Clutching a copy of the trusted Shropshire Star, he then confronted the workers about the graffiti calling out plasterer Tim and brickie Darren like naughty schoolboys.

And it’s clear Tim doesn’t mind ‘grassing’ on his mates after pointing straight at Darren when quizzed about who had done the handiwork.

The Professor said: “Do you know the one thing I’m really angry about? It’s not in bloody Latin, next time you want to do it ask me and I’ll give you a translation,” he joked.

Fortunately the offending graffiti will no longer cause a problem as it was covered up by two thousand wooden tiles. Ah, what a relief!

By Russell Roberts