The 'Painted House' is the remains of a Roman town house, constructed c. AD 200 and noted for its wall paintings. Its position just outside the Classis Britannica fort suggests that it served as the private dwelling of a leading naval or government official or as a mansio for important travellers. It was discovered during rescue excavations by the Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit in the 1970s. These excavations revealed a complex of at least six rooms and a passage. It was built on an earlier Roman building, probably mid-2nd century, of at least three rooms. This was largely demolished during the construction of the 'Painted House'. Further structures were also noted during the excavation of this structure, most of which are earlier in date and possibly relate to the extra mural settlement just outside of the CLBR II Fort. Of the six rooms the most complete was room 2 with internal walls surviving to 6 feet in height. These had been decorated with a green dado with a central zone of eighteen rectangular panels above. Similar, but more fragmentary, examples were found in the other rooms. The passage, which flanked rooms 1, 2 and 3, also had traces of a geometric pattern on one wall. Beneath the opus signinum floors a hypocaust was found intact. It appears to have heated all but rooms 4 and 6, while room 1 remained in use during the construction of the major military fort in AD. 270 rooms 2 and 3 were buried beneath the rampart and 4, 5 and 6 destroyed by the wall and ditch. It is possible that the building formed part of the east-west range of a much larger structure. Another building, located to the east of the ‘Painted House’ appears to be contemporary with it, and it is likely that this eastern building formed part of an integral eastern section of a larger building which included the painted house. (location accurate to the nearest 2m based on available information)