Roman Painted House

Visitor Information

Opening times

September:

• Every Saturday 10am-4pm
• Daily Friday 11 to Sunday 20 September for Heritage Open Days
• Some extra days for port of call visits - Thursday 24, Sunday 27 and Monday 28

October:

• Every Saturday 10am - 4pm
• Daily Saturday 24 to Saturday 31 October (half term holiday)
• Some extra days for port of call visits - Thursday 1, Friday 2, Wednesday 14 and Friday 16 
  
  

 Visiting:

• Admission is free
• No food or drink
• No smoking or vaping
• Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult
• Registered assistance dogs only.

Guided educational visits and group tours are available to book at a small charge - please email RPH@dover.gov.uk for further information.

Accessibility:

• Due to the nature of the site, access is limited
• The monument is below ground level and only accessible via staircase
• There is a ground level viewing platform
• Visitors unable to access the lower level can borrow printed copies of the panels from the reception desk. 

Parking:

• There are two parking spaces for Blue Badge holders, available on a first-come-first-served basis; please show your Blue Badge at reception for access
• The closest public car parks are Norman Street and Stembrook
• 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.

 

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:
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 11,000 visitors have come to the Roman Painted House since it reopened on 14 September 2024. 

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.