Jordan Hill Temple

Jordan Hill Roman Temple is a Romano-Celtic religious site and Roman ruin located on Jordan Hill above Bowleaze Cove, in the eastern outskirts of Weymouth, Dorset, England. It offers sweeping views inland and across Weymouth Bay from its elevated position on the South Dorset Downs.

Historical Background

The temple likely dates from the 4th century AD, during the later period of Roman rule in Britain. The site reflects a fusion of Roman and Celtic religious traditions, typical of so-called Romano-Celtic temples found throughout Roman Britain.

Following the Roman invasion in AD 43 under Emperor Claudius, native British tribes—particularly those in the south—maintained aspects of their Celtic culture. While Rome introduced new standards of wealth, infrastructure, and behaviour, native elites adopted many Roman customs as expressions of status. As a result, a distinct Romano-British culture emerged, blending local and Roman influences in architecture, religion, and daily life.

The Jordan Hill temple appears to have been built at a time when the Roman economic and social systems were starting to fragment, indicating shifts in community structure and religious practice.

Temple Description

This is a Romano-British square-plan temple, surrounded by a large walled precinct. The inner sanctuary or cella stood at the centre, likely elevated and once surrounded by a low, columned portico on all sides. However, the ambulatory is now missing—likely due to later stone robbing.

• Temple building floorplan: 6.8 square metres (73 sq ft)
• Precinct courtyard: approximately 84 square metres (900 sq ft)

Within the precinct, archaeologists uncovered numerous animal bones, ceramics, and 4th-century coins, indicating ritual activity. The site may have also functioned as a late 4th-century signal station.

Excavations and Finds

The temple was first excavated between 1843 and 1846 by amateur archaeologist J. Medhurst, followed by further investigations in 1931–32 by C.D. Drew and C.S. Prideaux. These later excavations established that the temple was in use from approximately AD 69–79 to the late 4th century.

Key finds include:

• The bases of four portico columns in situ
• A loose capital and base of a fifth column near the north wall of the cella
• A deep ritual pit (about 4 metres/13 feet) beneath the sanctuary’s south-east corner, carefully lined with reused roofing slabs

This pit contained 16 alternating layers of ash and charcoal with bird bones and small coins placed between each layer. At the bottom, a stone cist held two urns, a sword, and a spearhead. One coin dated from the reign of Emperor Theodosius I (AD 379–395).

Pits of this kind are commonly found at prehistoric Celtic religious sites and point to the persistence of older pagan rituals within the Roman religious framework, even after Christianity became the official religion of the Empire.

Many of the artefacts from the 1930s excavations are now housed in the Dorset Museum and the British Museum.

Burials and Associated Features

To the north of the temple was a cemetery containing more than 80 burials, including both cremations and inhumations. Some bodies were interred in wooden coffins or stone cists, often accompanied by personal items such as pots, combs, jewellery, arrowheads, and an iron sword—all of which suggest a belief in an afterlife and point to a well-organised rural community with enduring spiritual traditions.

Additionally, a separate hoard of over 4,000 bronze coins, discovered near Jordan Hill in 1928, may have been offerings made at the shrine over many years.

Preservation and Public Access

In 1933, the site was taken into the care of the State, originally overseen by the Ministry of Works and now managed by English Heritage. It is open to the public year-round with free access. The site was officially designated a Scheduled Monument in 1981.

References for Jordan Hill Temple

Temples in Roman Britain by M.J.T. Lewis (Cambridge 1966).

Map References for Jordan Hill Temple

NGRef: SY6982 OSMap: LR194

Roman Sites near Jordan Hill Temple

Jordan Hill Roman Temple sits within a wider landscape rich in Roman history. Several other significant Roman sites nearby include:

• Preston Roman Villa – Located to the northwest of Jordan Hill, this was a substantial Romano-British villa complex.
• Radipole Roman Port – To the west of Jordan Hill, on the River Wey, was probably a small Roman port that supported regional trade and movement.
• Maiden Castle – An Iron Age hillfort approximately 11 km (7 miles) to the north, where the foundations of a temple similar in design to the one at Jordan Hill have been uncovered within its massive ramparts.
• Dorchester (Durnovaria) Roman Settlement – Modern-day Dorchester, about 11 km (7 miles) north of the site, was an important Roman provincial town known as Durnovaria. It featured a forum, town houses, baths, an aqueduct, and an amphitheatre, and served as the regional capital for Roman Dorset.

These sites provide vital context for understanding the Jordan Hill temple’s role in the religious, economic, and social networks of Roman Britain.

Sites near Jordan Hill Temple

• Preston Roman Villa (1 km)
  Villa
• Maiden Castle Temples (7 km)
  Temple Or Shrine
• Maiden Castle (7 km)
  Iron Age Hillfort and Neolithic Causewayed Enclosure
• Dorchester (Durnovaria) Ampitheatre (8 km)
  Amphitheatre
• Dorchester (Durnovaria) Roman Settlement (9 km)
  Aqueduct and Minor Settlement
• Black Down (11 km)
  Possible Roman Camp
• Abbotsbury Hill Fort (14 km)
  Iron Age Hillfort
• Dewlish Villa (17 km)
  Villa
• Wareham (23 km)
  Minor Settlement
• Waddon Hill Fort (31 km)
  Flavian Auxiliary Fort (AD 69–96)