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. There was clear evidence that the bath house was flanked on all excavated sides by a well metalled surface or road. The roads all contain evidence of numerous re-metalling suggesting use over a long period of time. (location accurate to the nearest 2m based on available information).

Monument Types

• METALLED SURFACE (Metalled road surface, Roman - 155 AD? to 270 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. There was clear evidence that the bath house was flanked on all excavated sides by a well metalled (pebble) surface or road. The roads all contain evidence of numerous re-metalling suggesting use over a long period of time.

The road on the north side was up to 2.5m wide and had been metalled up to nine times, it is likely that this road would have also served the mansio situated to the north and probably joined the main north-south road into the CLBR fort. A narrow band of metalling was also apparent on the western side of the complex, this time only 1.4m wide, this had been cut by later Roman features suggesting that it fell out of use by the third period of the bath house. To the south of the complex (not illustrated here) was an area of metalling with a width of 6m, this must represent a substantial road, possibly the main road leading to the eastern entrance of the CLBR fort. (1)

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

Sources and further reading

Related records