Hypocaust (DS207)

The Roman Palace at Fishbourne is just a 15 minute train ride from where we are camped so with a none too inspiring weather forecast we thought it might be a good bet for our last day. The palace has just this week reopened with C-19 restrictions but the majority of the remains are visible and the story of the place is not difficult to follow.

This hypocaust was just about ready to go when a fire destroyed a large section of the building and it was not ever used, hence the derelict Sunday tag. Several of the beautiful mosaics are visible and well enough preserved to get an idea of how they might have looked when first installed. It must have been quite a sight at its height, although I had the impression it was never properly finished and the decline of the Roman empire rather overtook its fortunes.

Well worth a visit if you are in the area, rediscovered in 1961 when drainage for a possible new housing estate cut through one of the floors. The site was bought by an affluent philanthropist and excavated over the following several years.