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I wish the English Heritage would look into taking it over. It's such a jewel in our town's crown.
I wrote this about it for one of my websites.
The Roman Painted House
My hometown of Dover, just 21 miles from the French coast, looks, to the casual observer, much like any other small town here in England. But, the usual array of busy shops in the main street conceals a marvelous discovery that has lain buried by time since AD 270.
In 1970 a routine archaeological rescue assignment began ahead of re-development and there, behind the Bingo hall and the beauty parlor, laid a wonderful discovery that is to me, a source of intrigue and fascination.
Hidden many feet below the rubble of demolition was something that has been named as Britain's Buried Pompeii.
Knocked down and buried by the Roman army during the construction of a larger fort at that particular place, three of its main rooms were found to be substantially intact under the fort's ramparts. Standing outside of the great naval fort of the Classis Britannica the building was erected around AD 200.
It formed part of a large mansion or official hotel for travelers crossing the channel to France or to refresh themselves on their journey home.
The unique survival of over 400 sq.ft. of painted plaster is the most extensive ever found north of the Alps.
The floors and the remaining parts of the walls of the six rooms were found and the colors of the wall decorations, in their soft shades of reds and greens, are truly a joy to gaze upon.
Parts of twenty-eight painted panels, complete with trompe-loiel effect fluted columns can be seen so clearly, each with a motif relating to Bacchus, the Roman God of wine.
My personal favorite is a be-ribboned wand (Thyrsus), elegant and feminine and a small hint to the good times that must certainly have been enjoyed there.
In four of the rooms, where the walls have survived to a height of between four and six feet, the hard red concrete floors cover a complete central-heating system, with large arched flues, the various heating channels and the upright wall flues that would have kept the building comfortably warm 1800 years ago.
To look at the meticulously laid bricks and to ponder on the last time that they moved, whilst being put into place by the craftsman is a very special thing.
Of course other treasures were found as the site was excavated and coins, stamped tiles, cooking pots and pottery remains, give us an idea of the lives of the people who enjoyed the hospitality of this Roman Official Hotel.
In sumptuous surroundings and fortified by good wine and fine food they would have whiled away the hours between journeys and business.
One of the most evocative sights is that of the drinking vessels and I wonder whose lips last rested on the rim, as the wine was drunk and the women kissed. What were his thoughts, his hopes, and his dreams for himself and his country?
And sometimes, on a cold, wet day when visitors are scarce, I can stand there, in the middle of a room, close my eyes and feel from those delicately painted walls, some of the energy that has remained there, trapped in time like a tape recording and ready to reveal itself to anyone who can open themselves to it.
