Roman Folkestone: a Record of Excavation of Roman Villas at East Wear Bay, with Speculations and Historical Sketches on related Subjects

Abstract

IN this volume Mr. Winbolt describes his excavation of the Roman site discovered at Folkestone in August 1923. He suggests, with good ground, that we have here the remains of the official residence of the Roman Commander of the British Fleet, which came into being somewhere about A.D. 43, with headquarters at Ges-soriacum (Boulogne) and stations at Dover, Lympne, and at times Newcastle, and was probably disbanded about A.D. 290. The size of the villa testifies to its importance, and strategic considerations make it improbable that it was a purely private residence, especially as there is no other private building known along this coast. Mr. Winbolt has made a very careful record of the finds and describes them in detail. Having the interest of the general public in archseological matters in mind, he takes his readers into his confidence, and not only gives for their benefit extracts from his diary so that they may follow the progress of the excavation day by day and share his enthusiasm, but he also explains with great lucidity how each type of find bears upon the solution of the problems of the excavator. His book, therefore, may be commended to those who have no technical knowledge of Romano-British antiquities as well as to the expert.