Beauport Park, East Sussex
14 February 1999

(Left to right: One of the terracotta tiles from the Roman bath house bearing the stamp 'CL BR for 'Classis Britannica', a coin bearing 'CL BR', the golf course geophysical results)

Down a bridleway within a dense Sussex wood, a Roman bath house stands, with walls head-high, completely forgotten for centuries. The retired classics teacher who found it asked Time Team to try and find the other structures that must have been part of the iron-smelting works that were established here by the Romano-British navy. But things don't exactly go to plan, complicated by flying balls as diggers try to excavate on the edge of a golf course!

The three 'ruffians' – led by ancient technology expert Jake Keen – carried out an extremely successful iron smelting experiment at Beauport Park. When the slag flowed out of the furnace like a mini volcanic eruption, there was an entirely appropriate clap of thunder!

Further reading

The Iron Industry of the Weald by Henry Cleere and David W Crossley (Merton Priory Press, 2nd edition 1995) paperback £24.95
An extensively rewritten and extended edition of the definitive regional study of iron exploitation, this book covers Roman, medieval and post-medieval iron industries in the Weald, and provides a gazetteer of still-visible remains.

Life in Roman Britain by Joan Alcock (Batsford/English Heritage, 1996) paperback £15.99
An excellent social history of life in Roman Britain covering food and drink, clothing, recreation, administration and religion. Richly illustrated.

Roman Bath by Barry Cunliffe (Batsford/English Heritage, 1995) paperback £15.99
The illustrated story of the discovery and subsequent investigation of one of the most important spa towns of Roman Britain. The author, who excavated the site, shows how bathing rituals were closely connected with religious practice.

Roman Baths in Britain by Tony Rook (Shire, 1992) paperback £4.99
An alphabetical gazetteer of Roman bath sites. Also contains useful chapters on the architectural development and construction of Roman baths.

Websites

This website contains links to other websites which are not under the control of and are not maintained by Channel 4 Television. Channel 4 Television is not responsible for the content of these sites and does not necessarily endorse the material on them.

The Hechingen-Stein Roman villa
This villa is in Germany, but this guided tour is the best I have yet seen – and it is very similar to villas in Roman Britain.

The Newstead Project
A Roman fort in Scotland.

Hadrian's Wall
World heritage site of the Roman wall.

Roman Military sites in Britain

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