now the circus super-model has starting-gates!

Yesterday (16th May), Trust volunteer Shirley emailed some photo.s to us, showing the starting-gates of the super-model of the Roman circus, which she had just tested in position. Shirley is part of our team of dedicated renovation volunteers here at Roman Circus House but, for a couple of months now, she has been hard at work at home, building the circus super-model for us. Shirley is hand-making the model with soft woods at a scale of 1:100. The circus was approximately 450 metres long, so the model is 4.5 metres long… When it is finished, it will form the central part of the display in our Roman circus centre. Local designer Roger Massey-Ryan is also working on the circus model as a volunteer: he is 3d-printing the architectural details of the circus for Shirley to incorporate into the super-model. We have, of course, only recently finished building the new stumps of the starting-gates – at actual size! – on the circus site, in the garden of the former Sergeants’ Mess next door to Roman Circus House.

Both Shirley and Roger are working to detailed plans, drawings and measurements provided by Trust director Philip. Philip is basing these on the evidence from our investigations on the site of the circus. Although the circus was a provincial Roman building, and constructed mostly of available materials such as brick and Kentish Ragstone rather than stone and marble, it would have included finer architectural stone elements and, very importantly, the central barrier (spina) would have incorporated the lap-counters, turning-posts and other monuments. We have actually excavated the base of one of the turning-posts, and part of it is on display in the circus centre.

Shirley is now in the process of painting the circus super-model… She has already done a huge amount of work on the model, and it is looking great. We are really looking forward to seeing it at Roman Circus House!

The circus site and centre are open every weekday, 10.30am-4.30pm. (Entry is free. The cafe has not yet been re-opened.)

Many thanks to Shirley and Roger.

The images show the eight starting-gates and central arch, and the ceremonial arch – at the curved end – of the super-model, both photographed yesterday from inside the structure. (Apparently the super-model now occupies a large part of Shirley’s living room…)

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