Description
Located in the picturesque village of Fishbourne, this remarkable Roman site is an experience not to be missed.
The story of Fishbourne Roman Palace began quite by accident in 1805, when builders laying the foundations for a new house stumbled upon a 13-foot-wide paved surface and fragments of Roman columns. Over the years, local residents continued to uncover pieces of pottery and sections of mosaic flooring, unaware that these were part of a much larger and significant Roman structure lying hidden beneath their feet.
It wasn't until 1960 that the true scale of the site began to emerge. While digging a trench for a water main, Aubrey Barrett, an engineer with the Portsmouth Water Company, uncovered the foundations of a substantial masonry building north of the main road. This discovery sparked a major archaeological investigation and led to the full uncovering of one of the most important Roman sites in Britain.
Today, visitors can walk through beautifully reconstructed Roman gardens — the earliest known in the UK — and admire the country’s largest collection of Roman mosaics still in their original place. Combining rich history with stunning surroundings, Fishbourne Roman Palace offers a fascinating window into Roman Britain and the luxurious life once lived here.
