A HISTORIC Roman town house in Dorchester is set to get a much needed facelift and an improved entrance thanks to a £248,000 cash injection from National Lottery.

Dorset Council and its partners celebrated after receiving the grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to improve physical access to the Colliton Park site and share its heritage with a much wider audience.

The town house dates from the later Roman period and is the only house of its kind that is completely on display to visitors in Britain.

Although the historic site was popular with visitors it has needed to be updated for some time. There are problems with damp on the beautiful mosaics, mainly caused by the large overhanging trees, and the house is currently unable to open to schools due to safety concerns from mortar falling from the ceilings.

The money from the Heritage Fund will be used to provide a new entrance to the site along Colliton Walk, as well as new pathways around the site and landscaping carried out, providing a better sense of place and improving wildlife.

The structure and building will be updated, the mosaics repaired and cleaned and the crumbling mortar from the ceilings will be made safe and reopened for tours and school visits.

A new interpretation area and amphitheatre-style seating will be put in for visitors, school groups and theatre productions to use and tell the story of the Roman town house and its link to other sites in Dorchester.

Dorset Council’s Portfolio Holder for Highways, Travel and Environment, Cllr Ray Bryan commented: “We are thrilled to have received this support thanks to National Lottery players.

"We have worked hard to put this bid together and have consulted key stakeholders, residents and visitors to understand what is needed.

"By working with others, we hope to transform the Roman Town House, making access to it easier and provide new activities and productions that welcome new visitors.”

Bridget Betts, Environment Advice Manager at Dorset Council, put together the bid working with the senior archaeologists within the Historic Environment team at Dorset Council.

The town house will be linked with Dorset County Museum's education programme and The Arts Development Company, who will be coordinating the new activities and productions that will be put on during the second year of the project.

The project has has also received funding from the Heritage Committee, Fine Family Foundation, Dorset Council, Dorset County Museum, and The Arts Development Company.