Dorchester Roman Town House Set For Upgrades
Friday, June 5th, 2020Dorchester Roman Town House is set for improvements in the coming months. Plans have been put in place for new information boards and improved accessibility. The site is one of several around Dorchester that date back to Roman times.
The free-to-visit historic Dorchester landmark is the only example of a fully exposed Roman Town House in the country. Discovered in the 1930s, the building is often thought of as one of the county town’s hidden treasures. It’s location sits behind County Hall and is accessed via West Walks.
New upgrades announced
It has recently been announced that funding has been agreed to improve the site. The upgrades will include a new entrance, an open space area for performances, and changes to car parking and disabled access.
Cllr Andy Canning, vice chair of the town’s heritage committee said that new information boards would be produced for the site which would help with the interpretation of the Roman Town House.
“The aim is to enhance the overall setting of the Roman Town House. To improve access and circulation and to make the maintenance of the site more sustainable. Also to improve interpretation of the site and enhance its context in the historic town of Dorchester. The Roman Town House will be really, really special. ”
Planning consent for the changes was agreed in August 2019 with some preliminary work already carried out. A great deal of the forthcoming work will be funded by a Heritage Lottery grant.
Existing pathways around the Town House will be refurbished and some trees will also be removed by Dorset tree surgeons.
Previous funding
Previous funding by the Heritage Lottery Fund in the 1990s saw the addition of the large covered building to protect the mosaic floors. Further work took place in the later 2000s, again supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
