In
43 AD the Romans invaded Britain. Late in the 1st century they took
over the Celtic settlement of Canterbury and rebuilt it. The Romans
called the new town Durovernum Cantiacorum. They laid out the new
streets in a grid pattern and built public buildings in stone.
In the centre of Roman Canterbury was the Forum, an open space lined
by shops and by the basilica a kind of town hall. The Forum acted
as the market place. In Roman Canterbury there were temples. There
were also public baths. In Roman times going to the baths was not
just a way to keep clean it was also a way to socialise. It was the
Roman equivalent of going to the pub.
The town flourished for 300 years but in the 4th century Roman civilisation
declined. After the Romans left Britain in 407 AD town life broke
down and Canterbury was probably abandoned.
There is now a small worthwhile Roman museum in the heart of Canterbury.
Its not heavily promoted like its more commercial rivals and to date
has no dedicated web site. Its found in Butchery Lane in the heart
of Canterbury's medieval maze of alleys and narrow streets, only about
200m from the tourist office and Canterbury Cathedral.
Its very easy to walk straight past it, even when you're actively
looking.
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Roman
Museum Canterbury |
The
Roman Museum itself is underground at the level of the original Roman
town with just the small entrance pictured above at street level.
It's a mix of excavated real objects: authentic reconstruction's;
and preserved remains of a Roman town house with its famous mosaics.
Reconstructing include a Roman market place, with a shoe maker, fabric
seller and fruit and vegetable stall. There is also part of a house
with its kitchen set out in authentic detail.
A skilful computer program brings together pictures of the excavations
on the site, and from the archaeologists' detail it generates reconstruction
images of what the great house found here was like in Roman times.
Admission charges are very modest and the museum is open every day,
except Sunday, Good Friday and at Christmas. |
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