Guest 767- Registered: 30 Aug 2012
- Posts: 458
The following is a note from Brian Philp of the RPH, I am posting it on his behalf, if you have any questions then please e-mail at
wyborn-brown@tiscali.co.uk and I will do my best to get the answers for you, but please give me time to do this.
Letter begins -
The Roman Painted House closed at the end of September, exactly as scheduled, haveing welcomed nearly 7,000 visitors from 58 different countries. Although officially opening at 10.00am it was sometimes possible to open at 9.00am to cater for cruise ship visitors. It is now closed, except for school and group visits, until 1st April as there are very few casual visitors in Dover during the auteum and winter months and it costs about £60.00 per day to keep the monument open.
This inportant visitor centre has been managed and staffed by unpaid volunteers for 37 years for more then 150 days a year. The Painted House has no financial support and even pays DDC an annual ground-rent. All its funds have to come from admission charges, sales and donations. The charges have been kept to a minium to help tourism in Dover. All this good work has probably saved DDC about 3 million since it opened in 1977. Sadly the international importance of this tourist attraction has never been understood by by the official Dover guide and in its 2014 edition the only (tiny) photo relating to the scheme was carefully delated by those responsible.
Even so we are now looking forward to 2015.
letter ends.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
A few digs at DDC there but my understanding is that back in the old days they offered to finance it in order to make it a major tourist attraction but Mr Philp didn't want to know. Willing to stand corrected if I have been misinformed.
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,796
I have often read that people have tried to visit during the advertised opening time but the Painted House was not open, this gives a bad impression to locals and tourists. It is ridiculous that somewhere as important as the Painted House should have to entirely rely on volunteers to keep it open. It should really be open as often and the same hours as the Dover Museum.
I can't remember the ins and outs but didn't Mr Philp fall out with many people years ago so wasn't it his own choosing he was left to run the place on his own.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
What doesn't help is people not being sure when it is open.
http://www.theromanpaintedhouse.co.uk/contact-us.htmlKarlos- Location: Dover
- Registered: 1 Oct 2012
- Posts: 2,475
Only open about 100 days a year.
It's a terrible waste of a tourist attraction especially as it backs onto the library/museum.
Surely the Council can use its newly-found powers for CPO's to take it over.
Guest 1391- Registered: 1 Nov 2014
- Posts: 199
I emailed Phil as suggested re possible sources of funding; am sure funding would be forthcoming from something like Heritage Lottery fund ( who were at a recent Funding Fair at DTC). DDC have shown that if it is the right project, grant applications can be successful (am thinking of Kearsney Abbey/Russell,Gdns)
Guest 1391- Registered: 1 Nov 2014
- Posts: 199
I emailed Phil as suggested re possible sources of funding; am sure funding would be forthcoming from something like Heritage Lottery fund ( who were at a recent Funding Fair at DTC). DDC have shown that if it is the right project, grant applications can be successful (am thinking of Kearsney Abbey/Russell,Gdns)
Guest 767- Registered: 30 Aug 2012
- Posts: 458
Pam,
Sorry to say that no e-mail from you has been recieved, please try again, thank you.
Guest 1391- Registered: 1 Nov 2014
- Posts: 199
Did it via the link on this page so seems to have disappeared into a black hole then. Will send from own email.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Definitely in need of a spruce up the photos make it look better than in real life.
The vegetation needs cutting back too.
Karlos- Location: Dover
- Registered: 1 Oct 2012
- Posts: 2,475
There needs to be access from the Market Square/Market Street. Such an important historical site is wasted as it is.
Look on googlemaps, there's so much town centre land/property going to waste.
https://goo.gl/maps/ufZYLwixubC2Guest 1862 likes this
Judith Roberts- Registered: 15 May 2012
- Posts: 637
I think the grant should come with conditions on increased opening hours etc. I would love to take friends and family there, but it never seems to be open when they are visiting. It is very interesting when you do go inside. Dover has lots of visitors who are interested in history and all children seem fascinated by the Roman period. There is also a strong tradition of volunteer historians in Dover who might be willing to acts as curators with appropriate training
Andy B
- Location: dover
- Registered: 10 Nov 2012
- Posts: 1,740
Somewhere that i must visit,always wanted to have a look but never seem to get around to it.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Guest 1831- Registered: 1 Sep 2016
- Posts: 395
This Alison Burton goes way above her remit.
Wherever and whenever she gets involved there is strife and confrontation .
The Roman Painted House should be a Pearl in our midst.
It is the only piece of Roman History saved from the Classis Britannica Fort and Roman Development which lies buried in Sand and Concrete under York Street.
The finest preserved Roman Fort in Northern Europe, and would have been a major tourist attraction from far and wide. Dover Town itself would have been exceedingly wealthy, had this been respected
and saved. The rest is History.
Lets hope an enlightened person in authority, who can liase, with respect, will help the Roman Painted House.
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Some of this post has been removed by forum admin due to inaccuracies. Posts below may refer to the removed content.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Posts 2 and 3 go some way in explaining why it is not a tourist magnet.
Ross Miller
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,695
The role of Town Clerk is effectively the town/parish equivalent of the role of Chief Executive of a council so not really an overpaid clerk.
As for the Roman Painted House, many have tried hard to work with Mr Philp to turn this into the major tourist attraction that it should be, however Mr Philp tends to decline all offers as he treats it as though it his and he must control it...
His latest request/bid is a sticking plaster that will do nothing to improve the "pull value" of this significant historical monument. He needs to be putting a bid together in the multiple millions (as opposed to £7,800) to truly open this up and turn it into something that would pull people in from all over the world. But this is Dover so let's forget the ambitious vision and put it back in the "too hard" box and settle for fourth or fifth best as per usual.
Guest 1292 likes this
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
Ross Miller- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,695
The majority of the fort has been preserved in sand, either under the roman lawn or sadly under York Street. The bits that were lost were under the KCC white elephant that is the Dover Discovery Centre
Guest 1292 likes this
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
I thought the highly acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful White Cliffs experience came under DDC and only years after it closed KCC took it over and called it the Dover Discovery Centre, hardly a white elephant now.
