Fishbourne Roman Palace

The largest preserved Roman palace in the United Kingdom, Fishbourne has exceptionally well preserved mosaics and a faithful recreation of a Roman garden. The mosaics, situated in their original location, were discovered in the 1960s, and form the largest collection anywhere in the country. Floating walkways provide easy access for viewing, and displays cover the history and features of the site. A separate room covers the full story of the palace, its discovery and archeological work to uncover it. The garden is meticulously maintained, with immaculate topiary, herbal plants and an information room. Onsite facilities include free parking, a basic café and toilets. Prices at the time of visiting in summer 2025 were £13.95 per adult, with a 50% discount for English Heritage members, representing good value for such a historically significant and well presented site.

Visiting the Roman Palace at Fishbourne was a truly wonderful experience. The site is perfectly maintained, and the reconstruction of the gardens is beautiful, created in line with what is known about Roman culture and society. However, what impressed me the most were the mosaics inside. They are preserved in a remarkable way and offer a fascinating and varied insight into Roman artistic culture and the use of mosaic decoration. The archaeologists have done an outstanding job in replicating what life must have been like at the time, making this place an authentic and captivating journey into the past. Absolutely worth visiting.

Must see place if you are interested in roman Britain. Big collection of the artefacts and lots of floor mosaic to enjoy. The museum itself is not dog friendly, but if you take turns, you can spend time in the gardens.

My brain wasn't ready for the astonishing existence of this place and the profound secrets that it holds. It is literally mind altering to see it and read the information so excellently provided, and, as we did, to meet an eminent architect who happened to be working as a volunteer that day, who allowed us to handle artifacts that were handled by Romans 2,000 years ago! The incalculable scope and importance of this ancient site, which was only uncovered in the mid-1960s, has left me reeling. I can't stop thinking about the courage, ambition, brilliance, discernment, and audacity of the Roman conquerors of the first century, (and wondering what has become of us as a species since then.) Don't miss it!

Amazing place! First you walk through a small museum with the information boards and the artefacts displayed. Then you follow a walkway to admire the mosaics. After that there's the garden with information boards about the palace that dominated this place 2000 years ago. Just fascinating!

This was a great glimpse into Roman History. The museum gives an interesting timeline, with many artefacts. The mosaics are amazing and you can see them in situ quite close up from walkways. Incredibly what you see is only a fraction of the Palace. The gardens are lovely and there is parking and a decent cafe.

Absolutely incredible to see 2000 year old mosaics! The staff are so passionate about the experience and the purpose of the museum. I felt so welcome. Yes, the interpretation is a little dated but most people don’t realise how expensive it is to refresh. Balanced against the overall costs that the organisation must face in conservation, buildings maintenance and staff pay, they are really doing the best they possibly can. I would go every week to support them if I could. I booked online, and opted to gift aid my ticket. On arrival the lovely lady told me that this meant my ticket was now an annual ticket.

Updated 20250626 Another lovely day here. Again a fabulous informative really by a staff member (didn't catch her name sorry) with much embarrassment when I identified an amphora handle as a knee joint. Hohum. Also lovely to talk to the conservator who had just finished fixing a delightful little jet hair pin. Just wonderful to spend time with people who love their jobs. Calm informative and peaceful this place. Informative boards in the museum, lovely to walk over the various hypocausts and mosaics. As a school trip we were entertained and educated by Tom whose encyclopaediac knowledge of Roman clothes and armour brought the artifacts to life. Some of the signs are a bit tired hence the four stars, so folks get yourself down there to give more money to this place so they can update the boards. Little cafe is lovely, doing ice cream and very good coffee. I mean VERY good coffee.