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Roman Leicester, or Ratae Corieltauvorum as it was known to its inhabitants, was one of the most important commercial and administrative centres in the East Midlands. In the early 2nd century, the bustling town was accorded the status of a civitas, or regional capital (taking its name from the local Iron Age peoples that the Romans called the Corieltavi), gaining a new street grid and grand public buildings including a forum, basilica, at least one temple, and a large bathhouse. A portion of this last structure can still be seen above ground today, in the form of a 9m-high wall that represents one of the largest sections of Roman masonry still standing in Britain. Known as Jewry Wall, it was part of a grand entrance between the palaestra (exercise yard) and the baths proper, whose remains were excavated by Kathleen Kenyon in the 1930s (see here for more stories of pioneering female archaeologists who worked on Roman sites). Fittingly, Kenyon’s investigations were sparked by plans for the construction of a new public swimming pool on the site – but when the significance of her discoveries became clear, the new baths were swiftly relocated and their ancient predecessor preserved in situ. Today, its 1,800-year-old foundations and drainage channels are displayed in a garden outside the Jewry Wall Museum, which, since 1966, has been dedicated to sharing Leicester’s Roman story with the wider public.
Housed within a striking Grade II-listed brutalist building designed by Trevor Dannatt (best known for his work on the Royal Festival Hall in London), in 2017 the museum closed for major refurbishment and restoration works – but this summer, following a £16.8 million transformation, the site reopened with exciting new displays and a new name filled with promise: Jewry Wall Museum: a real Roman experience. ‘Experience’ is definitely the right word for this innovative attraction, which combines over 100 artefacts from across the region with entertainingly interactive technology to engage visitors of all ages.
Reimagining Ratae
From street level, visitors enter the building’s upper storey, which contains a new café overlooking the archaeological remains outside. This space is free to enter and enjoy, but buying a ticket for the main museum opens up a much more detailed view of the thriving, diverse, and creative settlement to which the ruins once belonged. Your visit begins with a 12-minute ‘immersive experience’ where, as you sit comfortably in a darkened room, projections and lively narration introduce you to Roman Leicester and its inhabitants, in an animated story that is based on excavated evidence (much of which you encounter soon afterwards in the displays that follow).
A short trip by stairs or lift then takes you down into the new gallery, which is situated below modern street level on the same plane as the Roman baths. This airy space is flooded with light, as one side is made entirely from glass so that you can look out towards the excavated remains (and pass through an automatic door to stroll among them). Its opposite number is filled with multimedia displays forming a 90m-long digital collage of excavation photographs, video clips, and other images telling the story of generations of archaeologists who have, to date, uncovered 13% of the Roman town. Beginning with Kathleen Kenyon, these snapshots also cover investigations by the Leicestershire Archaeological Unit, which, in the 1960s-1980s, revealed many of the settlement’s core buildings. You can also explore discoveries made by the University of Leicester Archaeological Services over the last 30 years, including the Western Road cemetery, which included the burials of six individuals with African ancestry (CA 320); and the spectacular townhouses and mosaics – as well as a viscerally characterful key handle depicting a man being devoured by a lion, which is displayed in a glass case within the same wall – uncovered in the Stibbe industrial area (CA 332). One of ULAS’s most recent projects features in a standalone case at the end of these displays: a replica Iron Age cauldron based on one of the 11 such finds from Glenfield (CA 424), which is shown alongside a touchscreen offering more detailed insights into the rare cooking pots’ excavation, conservation, and experimental reconstruction.
Interest in Leicester’s Roman past dates back much further, however: the gallery is bookended by two colourful tessellated floors – the Blackfriars Mosaic (pictured above) and the Peacock Mosaic – which were both discovered in the 19th century and were displayed to the public beneath a railway platform and in the basement of a shop, respectively, until they were brought to Jewry Wall in 1976 and 1966. The space between these mosaics is home to over 100 artefacts from Leicester and the surrounding county, niftily arranged within curved walls to create sub-sections devoted to different topics from food, shopping, and trade (pictured below) to entertainment, religion, and the high-status house that ULAS excavated on Vine Street just 400m from Jewry Wall (CA 325 and 388).
The objects on display are as diverse as the population that they represent. Personal highlights include: a ceramic ‘love token’ bearing the names of a gladiator called Lucius and an actress called Verecundia; a curse tablet dedicated by Servandus, a slave from the Vine Street townhouse, who complains to the Celtic god Maglus about the theft of his cloak; and a clay tile bearing the footprints of a Roman toddler. Another curse tablet preserves the only known mention of a septizonium (a kind of religious structure) outside Italy and North Africa, hinting that there may have been one in Leicester, too. You will also see vibrant sections of painted wall plaster (see here for more about frescos in Roman Britain) and a portion of one of the first Roman mosaics found in Britain, which was discovered in 1675 – as well as a host of jewellery, pottery, and other items that illuminate the lives and livelihoods of those who called Ratae home. Each themed area is also complemented by a video featuring characters from the introductory narrative (a shopkeeper, a soldier, a civil servant, a wealthy family), as well as interactive elements ranging from touchscreens offering additional details to quizzes and games. There is much here to inform, entertain, and spark the imagination – truly an experience to remember.
Further information: Admission to Jewry Wall Museum: a real Roman experience includes a Roman Explorer Pass which allows unlimited visits for 12 months. Combined tickets with the nearby King Richard III Visitor Centre are also available; see http://www.jewrywall.com for more details.
All Images: Leicester City Council
