Transforming the Roman Town House

The Roman Town House sits in the grounds of County Hall in Dorchester.
In the 1930s Dorset County Council bought Colliton Park to build a new County Hall. In an early example of rescue archaeology, a team from the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society excavated in advance of development. They found the remains of at least 8 buildings dating from the Roman period, of which the building that became known as the Roman Town House was the best example.
Dorset County Council decided to keep the Roman Town House on permanent display. The Roman Town House project started work in 2019 to update the site, improving access and interpretation for visitors.