Splashing the cash to help preserve best Roman bath house in UK

NORTH EAST ROMAN FORT RE-OPENS AFTER V ITAL WORK IS CARRIED OUT

CASH has been splashed to improve the setting of a stunningly-preserved bath house at a North East Roman settlement.

Binchester fort, near Bishop Auckland in County Durham, has the best preserved example of a military bath house in Britain.

As well as the impressive bathhouse, which is situated next to what would have been the commanding officer’s residence, Binchester features Britain’s only hypocaust - under-floor heating system - with its upper floor intact.

Now the fort’s visitor centre has reopened following a refurbishment programme.

The improvements include a new building to replace the aged structure which covered the remains of the bathhouse and was no longer fit for purpose.

The interior has detailed mural designs which give visitors a better impression of what the interior of the bath house would have been like for its Roman users.

An adult and child stepped into the history books when they walked across the edge of the newly-laid floor in the bath house and left their footprints in the damp mortar.

The refurbishment scheme has also included the creation of a new reception building and the installation of an electricity supply in the visitor centre.

Coun Ossie Johnson, Durham County Council cabinet member for tourism, culture, leisure and rural issues, said: “Binchester offers a fascinating insight into what life was like for the Romans of County Durham and is an important part of the county’s cultural offer.

“These improvements will greatly enhance the experience for visitors, helping us remain connected to our past but also helping to secure the site’s future as a visitor attraction.”

Dating from 75AD, Binchester, originally known as Vinovia, was once one of the largest Roman military installations in the north of England.

About seven hectares in size it was large enough to have accommodated a battle-group formed of several cohorts of legionary infantry and one or more units of auxiliary cavalry.

Inscriptions show that the garrison of the later fort was a cavalry unit originally recruited in Spain accompanied at some point by a unit of cavalry originating from what is now Holland.

People continued to live in the fort for several centuries after Britain ceased to be part of the Roman Empire.

Seven seasons of excavations at Binchester came to an end in 2015 and work has now begun on the task of identifying, cataloguing and analysing the vast quantities of finds and data recovered.

A longer-term strategy for the site will be created, working with the Auckland Castle Trust.

Binchester is open seven days a week from 11am to 4.30pm during June, from 10am to 4.30pm from July to September, and from 11am to 4.30pm during October.

For more information about the site, visit www.durham.gov.uk/binchester