AbstractGround‐penetrating radar (GPR) survey can provide a wealth of information when applied to the investigation of buried remains. The strength of the GPR technique lies both in its suitability to a wide range of site conditions and the complementary nature of the data in comparison with other geophysical techniques. However, GPR is not infallible, relying on the careful selection of suitable sites and the application of appropriate data processing and visualization routines to maximize the potential of the acquired data. This paper demonstrates the use of GPR over a variety of mainly Roman remains surveyed recently by English Heritage, within the UK, ranging in scale from an in situ mosaic pavement threatened by water damage at Bignor Roman villa, West Sussex to an entire, suspected amphitheatre at Richborough Castle, Kent. The influence of site conditions, such as soil conductivity and topography, is also considered and a novel application of principal components analysis is presented to enhance the identification of significant anomalies from data where rapid signal attenuation has occurred. This latter technique considers the correlation of GPR response between adjacent amplitude time‐slices in an attempt to isolate the response due to significant buried wall footings from the more cluttered signal of the surrounding clay‐rich soil. Where appropriate, URL links are provided to computer animations of the GPR data that may often serve to accentuate subtle variations through the stratigraphy of the site. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.