Roman Painted House

This house was just forgotten in time till it was ‘discovered’ by a construction team while building a bypass in the 1970s. An archaeological team was gotten onboard and a further eight weeks were spent excavating this site. The Roman Painted House and the Lighthouse situated at the Dover Castle, are relics of the Roman era at Dover. The Romans called this Portus Dubris and it was an important port in their naval strategy. A rough estimate is that it was built in 200 AD. The reason it’s called the Roman Painted House is quite literally because of the painted frescoes on the wall. These frescoes are said to be related to Bacchus, the god of wine and revelry, and are believed to be some of the finest examples of Roman murals in all of Britain. There is also the under floor heating system of the Romans; an ancient cut or hole in the floor allows this to be viewed.

As per one story, this was a mansio, or transit hotel for those travelling across the English Channel but other sources say it was only for officials who were travelling. Furthermore, legend has it that this might have been a brothel because of its proximity to the port and town centre. However neither can be proven without doubt which leaves us travellers to choose the version we prefer or wonder whether it functioned as both.

What I find interesting, though maybe inconvenient, is that this structure is managed only by volunteers. At times there might not be sufficient people to man it, so it could be shut. Always check in advance before you get here.