An ordinary-looking office block has a big surprise hidden underneath it. Beneath a modern building on Lower Thames Street in central London, you will find a scheduled monument. As you go down the stairs into the basement, you will discover the ruins of a Roman house with a bath house attached to it, dating from about the year 190.
Billingsgate Roman House and Baths is the remains of a large private residence uncovered in 1848. It is the only private Roman house in London that can be visited – and it has a rich history. David Harry, a London tour guide, shared a video on TikTok exploring the house. He said: "London is full of shocking surprises. This 1960s/70s office block has an enormous secret in it.".
As he entered the building and went down the stairs, he said: "This is a Roman house dating from about the year 190 and not only is it a Roman house, it has a dark secret in it as well because along here isn’t just a house, it’s got a bath house attached to it.".
Giving his viewers the chance to see inside the archaeological site, David explored each room, starting with the Roman 'hot room' which "would have been so hot that your skin would have been fried off your feet." Next, he showed viewers the 'cold room,' which was used for undressing and changing clothes.
Another feature of the ancient Roman house is a tepidarium room, which David said would have been used for business and it "would have been comfortable but very hot." Billingsgate Roman House and Baths has been preserved for nearly 2,000 years and was declared a scheduled monument under the Ancient Monuments & Archaeological Areas Act 1979 – so any damage caused could be a criminal offence.
