Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

During a series of extensive rescue excavations, ahead of development in Dover’s town centre undertaken by Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit a building, a substantial Roman building consisting of 6 main rooms was uncovered lying on an east-west axis. This structure is today known as the ‘Painted House’ due to the vast quantity of painted wall plaster which was located, largely in situ, in association with it. The uncovered remains remain open to the public for viewing. Rooms 3 and 4, were two interconnecting rooms which were located at the western end of the complex. They had been heavily damaged by later activity at the site, mainly by the construction of the west wall of the late Roman Saxon Shore Fort which destroyed the central section and much of the south west corner of room 3 and the west side of room 4. This left a width of 1.75m on the east side and 0.7m on the west of room 3 and parts of the east wall and a joining section of the south wall for room 4. (location accurate to the nearest 2m based on available information)

Monument Types

• WALL (Walls of rooms 3 and 4 of C9, Roman - 200 AD to 270 AD?)
• Wall Foundation (Foundations of structure C9, Roman - 200 AD to 330 AD?)

Full description

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(summarised from publication)

During a series of extensive rescue excavations, ahead of development in Dover’s town centre undertaken by Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit a building, a substantial Roman building consisting of 6 main rooms was uncovered lying on an east-west axis. This structure is today known as the ‘Painted House’ due to the vast quantity of painted wall plaster which was located, largely in situ, in association with it. The uncovered remains remain open to the public for viewing. Rooms 3 and 4, were two interconnecting rooms which were located at the western end of the complex. They had been heavily damaged by later activity at the site, mainly by the construction of the west wall of the late Roman Saxon Shore Fort which destroyed the central section and much of the south west corner of room 3 and the west side of room 4. This left a width of 1.75m on the east side and 0.7m on the west of room 3 and parts of the east wall and a joining section of the south wall for room 4.

There was a large bay in the north wall of room 4 and south room of wall 3, 2.75m wide, meaning that they were interconnected. Despite the damage, the minimum internal dimensions of these rooms may be determined and are 5.95m (E-W) by 5.57m (N-S) for room 3 and 3.2m (E-W) by 3.45m (N-S) for room 4. The walls were all rendered both internally and externally and were constructed of coursed flints set in a hard white mortar. At a height 50cm or five courses above the wall footing, were two courses of red bricks laid horizontally, this was then followed by more coursed flint. Where the walling survives they stand to a maximum height of 1.4m above the raised floor and sections of in situ wall plaster were located. The walls sat upon wall footings of flint which were 30-60cm high and slightly wider than the walls (60cm - 70cm wide whereas the walls were a maximum of 60cm). The wall footings were in turn positioned upon a set of broad foundations which consisted of flint rubble with a few fragments of tufa and chalk, 70-80cm wide and 30cm deep. Both rooms were provided with floors of pink opus signinum which, where the floor is still present, is in very good condition. There was no underlying hypocaust in room 4 and the hypocaust beneath room 3 had been heavily damaged by the later construction. Parts of five flue channels exist at the far eastern and western ends of the room. The demolition rubble representing the demolished upper sections of the walls was located overlying the floor and interestingly was also seen abutting the Shore Fort wall, suggesting that parts of the ‘Painted House’ were demolished after the construction of the wall. (1)

<1> Philp, B, 1989, The Roman House with Bacchic Murals at Dover (Monograph). SKE24004.

Sources and further reading

Related records