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Monument details
| HER Number: | TR 34 SW 1570 |
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| Type of record: | Monument |
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| Name: | Hypocaust beneath room 10 (tepid room) of the Roman military bath house, Dover |
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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 ten of the complex, at its eastern end, on a base of large flints and mortar. The remnants of nine rows (N-S) and six rows (E-W) indicate an original total of 72 pilae stacks. (location accurate to the nearest 2m based on available information).
| Grid Reference: | TR 3186 4143 |
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| Map Sheet: | TR34SW |
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| Parish: | DOVER, DOVER, KENT |
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Monument Types
- HYPOCAUST (Hypocaust of room 10, Roman - 155 AD to 350 AD?)
Associated Finds
- PIN (Roman - 200 AD? to 350 AD?)
- COIN (Roman - 260 AD to 300 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 ten of the complex, at its eastern end, on a base of large flints and mortar. The remnants of nine rows (N-S) and six rows (E-W) indicate an original total of 72 pilae stacks.
Both circular and rectangular pilae were present beneath this room, the circular ones were about 22cm in diameter while the rectangular ones were 20cm square, the best surviving was 12 courses high. The bottom courses were encased in a 15cm layer of brown mud which suggests localised flooding in the area, this layer produced 19 coins datable to A.D. 260-300. this hypocaust was later infilled and a new floor inserted, representing a change in the use of this room to a domestic function. Coins recovered from this infilling are datable to the late third and mid fourth century which is therefore the suggested date of abandonment of this hypocaust. (1)
<1> Brian Philp, The Discovery and Excavation of the Roman Shore Fort at Dover, Kent (Monograph). SKE32061.
Sources and further reading
| Cross-ref.
| Source description | | <1> | Monograph: Brian Philp. The Discovery and Excavation of the Roman Shore Fort at Dover, Kent. |
Related records
| TR 34 SW 1569 | Part of: Room ten (tepid room) of the Roman military bath house, Dover (Monument) |
