Rare tome on Valleys for sale (From Stroud News and Journal)

Rare tome on Valleys for sale

A RARE snapshot of the Five Valleys' most important archaeological site as it was more than 200 years ago is up for sale at a Stroud bookshop.

History buff Samuel Lysons painstakingly recorded his finds at the famous Roman remains in Woodchester in 1797 - when Britain was still at war with Napoleon.

And Mike Goodenough, boss of the Inprint bookshop in Stroud, believes his beautifully-preserved book An Account of Roman Antiquities

Discovered at Woodchester is the most important work he has ever sold.

"As a part of our local history it is by far and away the most significant book I have sold," he said.

"It is extremely difficult to get hold of. Only four copies have turned up at auction in the last 10 years."

The book includes hugely detailed colour illustrations of the world-famous Orpheus Pavement, the largest mosaic floor of its kind discovered in Europe.

And Lysons, who wrote the book in both English and French, also included beautiful paintings of the views across the valley as they were at the turn of the 19th Century.

"He was meticulous and I think regarded as being rather ahead of his time," said Mike.

"The drawings are all coloured by hand. It would have been hugely expensive to produce."

Many of the finds discovered by Lysons, mainly rare Roman statues, now reside in museums across the country, including the Corinium Museum in Cirencester.

But unfortunately for book fans, the tome does not come cheap. Its value is yet to be revealed but is expected to be in the thousands.