Fishbourne Roman Palace
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Mosaics at Fishbourne Roman Palace |
Fishbourne Roman Palace, in the village of
Fishbourne in
West Sussex, is one of the most important
archaeological sites in
England. Although local people had known of the existence of Roman remains in the area, it was not until
1960 that the archaeologist
Barry Cunliffe first systematically excavated the site, which had been accidentally uncovered by workmen when a water main was being laid.The
Roman villa excavated by Cunliffe's team was so large that it became known as Fishbourne Roman Palace, and a museum was erected to protect and preserve some of the remains
in situ. This is administered by the
Sussex Archaeological Society.
The palace consisted of four large wings with
colonnaded fronts, forming a square around a formal garden. The north and east wings consisted of suites of rooms built around courtyards, with a monumental entrance in the middle of the east wing. In the north-east corner was an aisled assembly hall. The west wing contained state rooms, a large ceremonial reception room, and a gallery. The south wing contained the owner's private apartments. The palace also included as many as 50
mosaic floors, under-floor
central heating and an integral bathhouse. In size, it is approximately equivalent to
Nero's
Golden House in
Rome or to the
Roman villa at
Piazza Armerina in
Sicily, and is by far the largest Roman residence known north of the
Alps. At about 500 feet (150 metres) square, it is comparable in size to
Buckingham Palace.
A modern museum has been built, incorporating most of the visible remains including one wing of the palace. The gardens have been re-planted using authentic plants from the
Roman period. A team of volunteers and professional archaeologists are involved in a continuing research excavation on the site of nearby, possibly military, buildings. The last dig in 2002 produced some interesting results, and the final report is eagerly awaited.
The first buildings on the site were
granaries, apparently a supply base for the Roman army, constructed in the early part of the
conquest (
43). Later, two timber-frame buildings were constructed, one with clay and mortar floors and plaster walls which appears to have been a dwelling house of some comfort. These buildings were demolished in the
60s and replaced by a substantial stone-walled house, which included a courtyard garden with colonnades and a bath suite. The palace itself, incorporating the previous house in its south-east corner, was begun ca.
73.
The most widely accepted theory, proposed by Professor Cunliffe, is that the palace was the residence of
Tiberius Claudius Cogidubnus, a pro-Roman local chieftain who was installed as king of a number of territories following the first stage of the conquest. Cogidubnus is known from a reference to his loyalty in
Tacitus's
Agricola, and from an inscribed altar found in nearby
Chichester.
The palace outlasted Cogidubnus and was extensively re-planned in the
2nd century. Further redevelopment was begun in the late
3rd century, but these alterations were left incomplete when the north wing was destroyed in a fire in 270. The damage was too great to repair, and the palace was abandoned and later dismantled.The dismantled parts were reused in the constructions of other buildings in the surrounding area.
* Peter Clayton (ed) (1980),
A Companion to Roman Britain* John Morris (1982),
Londinium: London in the Roman Empire* Keith Brannigan (1980),
Roman Britain: Life in an Imperial Province*
Fishbourne Roman Palace Museum
