Roman Painted House

Roman Painted House Reopens for Easter Weekend

The Roman Painted House is delighted to be reopening its doors to the public for the Easter Weekend - and Saturdays going forward - following its routine closure over the winter months.

It will be open 10am to 4pm on Good Friday, Saturday, Easter Sunday and Monday (18-21 April) and will then be open Saturdays until the end of September.

In early 2024, a range of works were carried out to make the attraction compliant and safe, including new electrics, new lighting, new toilets, structural repairs, a new fire escape, stair repairs, a handrail replacement, vision panels, a new floor and other health and safety works, which has included the removal of mould and environmental monitoring. Over 3,100 visitors have come to the Roman Painted House since it reopened on 14 September last year. 

The spring opening has taken longer than anticipated as final air sampling checks needed to be made because of the wet winter weather. Since the weather has improved over the last month, the air quality in the building is now deemed fine for both visitors and staff.

About the Roman Painted House

The Roman Painted House was discovered in 1970 and then excavated by local archaeologists during the following decade. Built in around 200 AD it formed part of the Roman military site in Dover. It has been described as the finest Roman house on show in Britain, with unique painted plaster walls (frescoes) and elaborate under floor heating (hypocaust).

The Roman Painted House is just part of a significant set of archaeological remains in the centre of modern-day Dover, some of which are under the adjacent Roman Lawn and include a Roman Bath House.

Plans for the venue 

Dover District Council and the Dover Roman Painted House Trust plan to collaborate and submit a funding application to support a major ‘Roman Dover’ project. This would not only better protect this scheduled monument but would also publicly open and protect Dover’s Roman Bath House, to support significant ongoing regeneration and create one of the best Roman sites in Britain.   

Visiting

Admission is free

Guided educational visits and group tours are available to book at a small charge - please email RPH@dover.gov.uk or call 01304 201066 to book.

The Roman Painted House
New Street
Dover
CT17 9AJ

What Three Words: guitar.faded.enter 

Parking

There is currently no parking on site. Albany Road, Norman Street and Stembrook car parks are both close by.

Blue Badge holders may park free of charge for up to three hours, or for the maximum period, in any of Dover District Council’s car parks. For further information on car parking in Dover, please see dover.gov.uk/parking.