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Homepage > ROMAN PAINTED HOUSEDover Roman Painted House Trust,
New Street, Dover, Kent.
Telephone: Dover ( 01304 ) 203279.
Registered Charity Number 2 7 0 4 9 9.
2008 OPENING TIMES
April to end of September.
Sunday: 1pm to 5pm.
Other days: 10am to 5pm (NOT Mondays).
Last entry 4.30pm.
(Also open October to March for pre-booked parties.)
Adults £2.00,
Concessions £1 (Children, Students, OAPs).
Parties Welcome.
Trains and Buses Nearby.
FREE CAR PARKING ON FORECOURT.
DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION
The Roman Painted House, the finest Roman House on show in Britain, was discovered by Kent Archaelogical Rescue Unit. Thirty years of excavation across ancient Dover by the Unit have uncovered 50 major structures. The Painted House was the best preserved and is now a major tourist attraction. Built about AD 200 it formed part of a large mansio or official hotel, for travellers crossing the Channel. It stood outside the great naval fort of the Classis Britannica, but in AD 270 it was demolished by the Roman army during the construction of a larger fort. See map of the harbour area.
The long-lost Roman 'Saxon Shore' fort, predicted by Sir Mortimer Wheeler and found by the Kent Unit in 1970, lies buried under modern Dover. A large section of its west wall, together with a major bastion, survive inside the Roman House cover building. These cut through Rooms 3, 4 and 5.(See plan.)
UNIQUE ROMAN WALL PAINTINGS
The burial by the Roman Army resulted in the unique survival of over 400 square feet of Painted plaster, the most extensive ever found north of the Alps. Above a lower dado, of red or green, visitors can still see an architectural scheme of many coloured panels framed by fluted columns.
The columns sit on projecting bases above a stage, producing a clear 3-D effect. Parts of 28 panels survive, each with a motif relating to Bacchus, the Roman God of wine.
ROMAN CENTRAL HEATING
The walls in four rooms survive to a height of 4-6 feet and the hard red concrete floors cover substantially complete central-heating systems. Visitors can see the large arched flues, the various heating channels and the vertical wall-flues that kept the building comfortably warm 1,800 years ago.
NATIONAL AWARDS
After discovery in 1970 the Kent Unit promoted a major tourist-preservation scheme and the House was opened in 1977, on behalf of the Dover Roman Painted House Trust. Over 600,000 visitors have seen the Roman House which is open for 200 days each year. Admission charges and voluntary effort cover the running-costs, so far without any charge to the District Council. The Scheme won four national awards, including "The Best Preservation of an Archaeological Site in Britain" (Country Life Award). "Outstanding Tourist Enterprise" (B.T.A. Award) and "Museum of the Year Award". The Unit also won the famous Silver Trowel Award, presented to it by H R H Prince Charles.
EXHIBITION ON ROMAN DOVER
In the Galleries are 30 display panels which tell the story of the discovery of the Roman House and the development of Roman Dover. Some of the best objects excavated are on display.
BRASS RUBBING AND TOUCH TABLE
Visitors may also try their hands at brass-rubbing on several large and small figures from Roman and medieval times. The materials are supplied at a modest cost and there is plenty of time.
There is also a touch table covered with finds from the excavations, such as pottery, bones and tiles. A hands-on experience for all the family.
SCHOOL VISITS AND
THE NATIONAL CURRICULUM
With its spectacular Roman rooms, fine painted plaster, heating-systems, numerous information panels, commentaries (in four languages), cases of finds and a touch-table, schools from all over South-east England and France now make day-trips to the Roman House. Often combining with visits to Dover Castle, schools find the Roman House—with its gift shop for booklets and souvenirs, toilets and free parking—a major indoor attraction. Guides are available for short talks if required.
OTHER DISCOVERIES IN ANCIENT DOVER
Besides the Roman House, the Kent Unit has also discovered in Dover the Roman naval fort of the CLASSIS BRITANNICA; the late-Roman shore fort built about AD 270; the western half of St Martin-le-Grand church and large parts of Saxon and medieval Dover. Many of these discoveries have been published in three major research volumes available in the Painted House.
