A day out in Roman Durnovaria!
Dorchester was founded by the Romans around 60AD under the name Durnovaria. We’ve still got tons of fabulous Roman history dotted around our town, and in our museums, for everybody to see. Spend the day in Dorchester as a Roman discovering all there is to offer! Here’s an idea of what to expect…
Start your day at the Roman Town House
Dive in head first to Dorchester’s rich Roman history with the only example of a fully exposed Roman Town House in the country!
A delightful, immersive example of our history in Durnovaria. The Town House is just a five-minute walk from the town centre, and is free to visit, with a range of tours offered. You’ll learn about the excavation and conservation of the Roman Town House and how life was there for a Roman.
Head to Dorset Museum to see their selection of Roman Mosaics
Did you know more Roman mosaics have been found in Dorchester than any other Roman town in Britain?
See a fantastic selection of these mosaics and others at Dorset Museum. The museum’s Victorian Hall is a jaw-dropper, with mosaics all over the walls and floors. Two of the beautiful patterns sit front and centre in the Victorian Hall – the Durngate street and Olga Road mosaics. These cover the main part of the floor and you can walk over them just as the Romans would have!
Discover countless Roman items from Durnovaria at the Dorset Museum.
Bring a picnic and enjoy lunch at Maumbury rings
Where better to enjoy lunch in the sun than the historic Maumbury Rings?
A free place to visit in Dorchester, Maumbury Rings was excavated in 1908-13. Celtic henge? Roman amphitheatre? Civil War army camp? The prehistoric henge has seen it all! When the Romans built Durnovaria in around 60 AD, they re-modelled the henge to build an entirely new amphitheatre.
Now you can sit in the fantastic natural arena where hordes of Roman soldiers would have practiced their army skills.
Walk the Roman walls in the afternoon
Like most Roman towns in Britain, Durnovaria was walled! Over the years, Dorchester has outgrown the original wall size of 75 acres.
A fragment of surviving walling, located just south of the Top ‘o Town roundabout, has been incorporated into a garden wall since the early 19th century. This wall was given to the town in 1886 by Lucia Stone.
You can still see the original line of the Roman walls. They have been lined with beautiful trees so visitors can enjoy a leisurely stroll as they walk around the centre of town! Follow the tree-lined walks as Spring blossoms, the perfect way to spend your afternoon discovering Durnovaria.
Explore the remains of a Roman temple at Maiden Castle
Complete your day of Roman history by watching the sunset amongst the beauty of natural Dorset!
Head to Maiden Castle where you’ll find the foundation of a Romano-British temple from the late 4th century. After the hillfort was abandoned by the Romans, the temple complex was built as a ‘fusion of native British and classical Roman religion’, much like a shrine!
Maiden Castle, the largest Iron Age hill fort in Britain, is open all year round for public visiting and entry is free. It’s the perfect place to finish your day of Roman exploration!
Image: English Heritage
