Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

During excavations undertaken in Dover town centre by Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit, a Roman military bath house was excavated and recorded. Room five was a large hypocausted room immediately to the east of room three and of a similar size. Three periods of development are evident in the surviving remains, the last of which represents a change in the use of the room from hot room to cold room. (location accurate to the nearest 2m based on available information)

Monument Types

• WALL (period 1 walls, Roman - 155 AD to 190 AD)
• WALL (period 2/3 walls, Roman - 190 AD to 390 AD)
• FLOOR (period 3 floor (opus signinum), Roman - 211 AD? to 390 AD)

Associated Finds

• COIN (Roman - 193 AD to 211 AD)

Full description

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(summarised from publication)

During excavations undertaken in Dover town centre by Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit, a Roman military bath house was excavated and recorded. Room five was a large hypocausted room immediately to the east of room three and of a similar size. Three periods of development are evident in the surviving remains, the last of which represents a change in the use of the room from hot room to cold room.

Little of the period one room remained aside from a length of the northern wall which consisted of 72cm of tufa blocks, deeply buried beneath the period two wall. A small cut through the period two floor revealed that the base of the period one floor was extant and had imprints implying the former existence of a hypocaust associated with the period 1 room. The period two remains were comparatively substantial and consisted of chalk block and tile walls set in an opus signinum mortar and a substantial opus signinum base on a compacted layer of grey clay and pebbles. This supported the remains of a hypocaust, of which approximately half were fully excavated revealing imprints, partially complete or complete pilae. This hypocaust was infilled with deposits of loam, flints and sandstone, capped with cream mortar and opus signinum in the period three development of this room, changing it from a hot room into a cold room. A coin of Severus (A.D. 193-211) was located in the bedding of the floor and a further eight, dating to between A.D. 330-383 in the soil layer directly above it and representing the use of the room. The features were all cut in the north-west corner by a Medieval tank. (1)

<1> Brian Philp, The Discovery and Excavation of the Roman Shore Fort at Dover, Kent (Monograph). SKE32061.

Sources and further reading

Related records