(summarised from publication)

During excavations undertaken in Dover town centre by Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit, a Roman military bath house was excavated and recorded. A substantial hypocaust was located beneath room five, located to the east of room three, this hypocaust is likely associated with the period two re-build of this room, but it replaces an earlier hypocaust associated with the first period, imprints of which were uncovered in a small examination of the period one floor.

The floor supporting the period two hypocaust was of pebbles in a grey clay topped with a layer of opus signinum. This sealed the period one floor and hypocaust which had been completely robbed. This hypocaust was infilled to a depth of 1m during alterations to the rooms use in period three, the infilling consisted of deposits of loam, flints sandstone and quernstone. This fill was only partially excavated across the centre of the room, this revealed evidence of 6 rows of pilae, three of which were complete and stood to a height of 1.06m (21 courses) and a further 12 were partially complete. It is likely that a total of 49 would have been situated across the floor of room five. (1)

<1> Brian Philp, The Discovery and Excavation of the Roman Shore Fort at Dover, Kent (Monograph). SKE32061.