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. A substantial hypocaust was located beneath room three, which was a hot room located to the east of the hot bath in room 2. This hypocaust may be associated with the period two re-build of this room, but it is likely that it replaces an earlier hypocaust associated with the first period, imprints of which were uncovered in a small examination of the period one floor. (location accurate to the nearest 2m based on available information)

Monument Types

• HYPOCAUST (period 2 hypocaust, Roman - 190 AD? to 375 AD)

Associated Finds

• COIN (Roman - 268 AD to 270 AD)
• COIN (Roman - 364 AD to 375 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. A substantial hypocaust was located beneath room three, which was a hot room located to the east of the hot bath in room 2. This hypocaust may be associated with the period two re-build of this room, but it is likely that it replaces an earlier hypocaust associated with the first period, imprints of which were uncovered in a small examination of the period one floor.

The hypocaust pilae had been constructed upon a floor of rammed chalk with pebbles, topped by a layer of opius signinum. 44 were apparent either in part or complete and the arrangement shows that the room would have been provided with 7 rows of 7 pilae, 49 in total. It is likely that the hypocaust here is contemporary with, and, an extension of that uncovered beneath the adjacent rooms 2 and 5, the walls of which contained corbelled openings. A small fragment of floor in room three suggests a total height of 1.22m for the pilae, including the capping and bridging tiles. The partially demolished hypocaust was filled with rubble consisting of tile fragments including patterned box-flue tiles, tufa, mortar and chalk. (1)

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

Sources and further reading