4th century Roman villa discovered during excavations in the 1930s.
Situated in Colliton Park in Dorchester is the Roman Town House, the only example of its kind to be seen in its entirety in Britain and a Grade I listed building. It has been owned and managed by Dorset County Council and supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Dorchester Joint Heritage Committee since it was acquired by the council in 1993.
The town house wasn’t discovered until 1937 during an archaeological investigation prior to proposed new building plans for a County Hall. These plans were then modified to include the town house.
Dating back from the 4th century AD, it is built around a small courtyard in an L shape are two sections of main rooms. Each section of the house boasts a number of architectural features; The South Range features stone walls, while the West Range includes stone columns and a beautiful mosaic under a covered building.
