Roman villas · South East England
Fishbourne Roman Palace
In or near Fishbourne.
The largest Roman house north of the Alps — 1st-century, with the Cupid on a Dolphin mosaic.
nick macneill — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1 h–2 h
- Nearest railway station
- Fishbourne · 0.2 km
- Paid entry
- Dog-friendly
- Wheelchair accessible
Getting there & planning your visit
Fishbourne Roman Palace is located in Chichester, West Sussex, with the postcode PO19 3QG. The nearest railway station is Fishbourne, just 0.2 km away. Entry to the site is free, and it is accessible for visitors.
About
Fishbourne near Chichester is the largest Roman residence found north of the Alps — a 1st-century palace probably built for the client-king Cogidubnus, with 100+ rooms around four colonnaded gardens. Discovered 1960; the surviving north wing is roofed and houses the Cupid on a Dolphin mosaic, Britain's most famous Roman floor.
Photo gallery
Summary from the official site
Fishbourne Roman Palace is the largest known Roman residential palace north of the Alps, built around AD 75. Visitors can explore remarkably preserved mosaics, archaeological remains, and reconstructed Roman gardens, along with an on-site museum.
Read more on the official property page.
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: Chichester Harbour SSSI
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Chichester Harbour
- Ramsar wetland: Chichester and Langstone Harbours
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Fishbourne Roman Palace or Fishbourne Villa is in the village of Fishbourne, near Chichester in West Sussex. The palace is the largest known Roman residence north of the Alps, and has an unusually early date of 75 AD, around thirty years after the Roman conquest of Britain. Much of the palace has been excavated and is preserved, along with an on-site museum. The rectangular palace surrounded formal gardens, the northern parts of which have been reconstructed. Extensive alterations were made in the second and third centuries AD, when many of the original black and white mosaics were overlaid with more sophisticated coloured work, including the perfectly preserved Dolphin mosaic in the north wing. More alterations were in progress when the palace burnt down in around 270 AD, after which it was abandoned.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
The first buildings on the site were granaries, over long, apparently a supply base for the Roman army constructed in the early part of the conquest in 43 AD. Later, two residential timber-frame buildings were constructed, one with clay and mortar floors and plaster walls which appears to have been a house of some comfort. These buildings were demolished around 60 AD and replaced nearby with an elaborate and substantial stone-walled villa, or proto-palace, in about 65 AD which included a courtyard garden with colonnades and a bath suite, together with two other buildings, and using material taken from the earlier buildings. It was decorated with wall paintings, stucco mouldings and opus…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 50.8392, -0.8128
- County
- West Sussex
- District
- Chichester
- Parish
- Fishbourne
- Postcode
- PO19 3QG
- Parliamentary constituency
- Chichester
- Phone
- 01243 785859
- Nearest railway station
- Fishbourne — 0.2 km
- Opening
- Daily 10am–4.30pm; 20 July - 6 September 10am–5pm; last admission 1 hour before closure
- Official site
- sussexpast.co.uk
Sources
- manual: fishbourne-roman-palace (manual)
- wikipedia: Fishbourne Roman Palace (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Fishbourne Roman Palace?
- Fishbourne Roman Palace is in West Sussex, South-East England, United Kingdom (postcode PO19 3QG), in the parish of Fishbourne.
- What is Fishbourne Roman Palace?
- The largest Roman house north of the Alps — 1st-century, with the Cupid on a Dolphin mosaic.
- How do I get to Fishbourne Roman Palace?
- The nearest railway station is Fishbourne, about 0.2 km away. Drivers can use postcode PO19 3QG.
- When was Fishbourne Roman Palace built?
- Dates from the Roman period.
- Is Fishbourne Roman Palace a protected site?
- Yes — Fishbourne Roman Palace is part of the Chichester Harbour SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the Chichester Harbour National Landscape (AONB).
- Is Fishbourne Roman Palace free to visit?
- Yes, Fishbourne Roman Palace is free to enter.
- How do I get to Fishbourne Roman Palace?
- The nearest railway station is Fishbourne, about 0.2 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode PO19 3QG.