This 4th century Roman house is quite a landmark. It sits beside a rural crossroad below Wenlock Edge, and even though we know it is there, it always takes me by surprise whenever we drive that way to Shrewsbury – its time-slipped Mediterranean demeanour striking false notes in the midst of 21st century Shropshire farmland. But then this was once the style de nos jours across most of England – the way we were, almost fully Romanized, twenty to sixteen centuries ago.
And of course it is a re-creation, but then that is surprising in other ways. For a start it is built on the site of an actual Roman city, otherwise known as Wroxeter or Viroconium, and it is not usual for the heritage-powers-that-be to allow building work on their sites of international archaeological importance. For another, it is a product of a Channel 4 ‘Reality TV’ show broadcast in six episodes back in 2011. ‘Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day ‘ was a piece of experimental archaeology turned mainstream viewing, in which a team of UK builders was set the task of building the town house using ONLY traditional Roman methods.
They had 6 months to master new skills, guided by a 2000 year old manual written by engineer Vitruvius, and under the watchful eye of project planner Professor Dai Morgan Evans, who had based the design on an actual building excavated at the site. By all accounts it was a bit of a bumpy ride.
These days Wroxeter is in the care of English Heritage and if you follow the link you can find out more about the once fourth largest Roman city in Britain. The site’s immense historical importance meant the town house project could only proceed by first creating a foundation raft that would protect the remains in the ground. Originally, too, it was intended that the house would have a limited time span. However, it is still with us, and we finally decided to make an actual visit in November last year – on Remembrance Sunday in fact, when many of us were pondering on quite another momentous historical event, the centenary of the end of World War One.
A strange case of mixed millennia then. The day was bright and blustery day with an icy wind blowing up the Craven Arms gap between the Shropshire Hills. As we peered into the re-created domestic quarters (in much need of some serious house-keeping) we could hear the peeling bells of Shrewsbury’s churches several miles away. It sounded joyous too, this commemorative toll on so many million wasted lives.
And so it was one of those moments of complete chronological, if not ontological disorientation when you wonder what life, the universe and everything means. A ‘Who am I? Why am I?’ reaction. I took a few photos and fled back to the warmth of the visitor centre where there were two lovely young English Heritage women to chat to, and where one could also submit to the soothingly anodyne effect of graphics panels on topics Roman.
I came away thinking there are many versions of ‘reality’ that we buy into, man-made, manipulative and specious. Nonetheless, there are still some actual Roman remains at Wroxeter, the rising facade of the great Baths Basilica. And of course I remember a couple of weeks I spent here in the 1970s, a Prehistory and Archaeology undergrad, apparently gaining some required excavation skills in order to obtain my degree.
In fact I probably learned more from the gang of prisoners let out each day from their penal establishment. They worked close behind the line of us middle class student excavators, emptying our spoil buckets, barrowing the dirt into skips, all the while intent on shocking us with talk of lurid prison doings. One among them, though, grew so fascinated with the excavation process that he was promoted to the digging line and even worked through his lunch break. ‘I’m going to do this when I get out,’ he said, head down, trowel in hand, scrape-scraping away. Yes. That was a real reality glimpse. I learned a lot from that.
copyright 2019 Tish Farrell
Tish Farrell 
It does look out of place except for that one end where the timbers are exposed. That looks British to me but then what do I know?
Indeed, many of our medieval and later houses have similar timber framing.
A fascinating place and one which I have driven past plenty of times, but never visited (and that before this house was built). We did visit the Wroxeter Roman vineyard though 🙂
Also fascinating, down the lane is Wroxeter church, now redundant, but it’s intriguing to see how many Roman bits were incorporated into same.
Thank you so much, Tish for the tour of this 4th century Roman house and the Baths Basilica. The link of “Wroxeter is in the care of English Heritage” is very interesting. Thank you for sharing with us.
Glad you like this, Amy. The English Heritage site has some great photos, Also a virtual reality tour of the house when it was newly built (I think).
I’ll go back to the site to view the reality tour. Thank you, Tish.
I would certainly visit, having an interest thing things Roman and in history in general. Makes me want to re-read my Rosemary Sutcliff books. 🙂
janet
Oh yes – Rosemary Sutcliff. I keep meaning to give her a re-run.
Goodness, years since I read her!
I love her books and have quite a few of them.
What an interesting place. I didn’t know of its existence. I wonder if that prisoner did actually do any more excavation/archaeological work when he got out?
Yes, I wonder too. I somehow felt he would.
I really hope he did – it would be marvellous to think that something good came out of his ‘day release’.
How most intriguing!
🙂
It doesn’t look terribly inviting now that you’ve shown me the inside, Tish, but bizarre that it’s there. I vaguely remember that programme. 🙂 🙂
It feels a bit as if it’s in danger of becoming another kind of experiment: how long it will take to fall to pieces and in what manner. But of course there are no slaves to do the housework 🙂
Great story Tish, loved the prisoner who took to the process. Wonderful photos of a truly interesting place.
Thank you, Tina.
It would be fascinating to walk through ruins like this. I’ve heard of reconstructions of bridges using ancient methods but this is the first full building. Are they deliberately maintaining it?
Your comment that “there are many versions of ‘reality’ that we buy into, man-made, manipulative and specious” resonated with me – those moments of disorientation in time and space. I’m imagining that odd juxtapositioning of Roman ruins and pealing bells commemorating the Armistice at the same time.
Hello, Joanne. We didn’t notice signs of obvious maintenance. The living quarters are open on to a verandah at the rear and thus to the elements, and clearly a lot of birds have been popping in to roost!
Thank you too, for your thoughtful comment. It was an odd time-slip experience. I suppose one thing on my mind as I heard the peeling bells was how little we have learned from that particular carnage. The corporate hawks are flexing their claws for more of it as if what they have done already across the Middle East isn’t enough.
Sadly, I have to agree with you.
Interesting – the whole story and photos. Love the digging prisoner and that birds are popping in. I do hope he became an archeologist in the end!
It is a hopeful thought, isn’t it.
The recreation doth look a tad new. 🙂
And about the prisoner, I hope he followed through.
That would be redemption.
🙂
Redemption – my thoughts exactly 🙂
And redemption can be scarce lately… (My wife complains that I only want to see movies or series where the villain is caught and Good ultimately prevails! Otherwise just open the paper…)
I know that feeling.
I watched the series on Youtube a few months back. It’s nice to see the lad’s work still standing. I wonder if it’ll stand for as long as the original Roman buildings did, and are. 🙂
Well fancy you watching this so recently. And that is a good bit of wondering. I think I’ll join you 🙂
Fascinating!
Thank you 🙂