Fire destroys reconstructed Roman House in Poole
Museum staff said to be "heartbroken" by the arson attack
An arson attack destroyed a reconstructed Roman House in a country park in Poole, Dorset, earlier this week.
The house, which was used as an educational facility, is part of the Borough of Poole's Culture and Community Learning service, which is responsible for libraries, adult learning, arts development and museums. More than 1,100 schoolchildren a year visit the site, which also hosts public events.
“Staff at Poole Museum are heartbroken by this thoughtless act, not least because the house has been extensively restored by volunteers over the past few years,” said Michael Spender, the museum and arts manager at the Borough of Poole.
“We also feel extremely sorry for all the children whose school workshops are going to be affected. We will of course be making alternative arrangements to minimise disruption. We would urge anyone with any information about the fire at the Roman House to contact Dorset Police on 101.”
The fire is believed to have been started at around 8pm on 10 November.
The Roman House was the only authentic reconstruction of a Roman artisan domestic dwelling in the UK. It has been at Upton Country Park since the 1980s.
The house, which was used as an educational facility, is part of the Borough of Poole's Culture and Community Learning service, which is responsible for libraries, adult learning, arts development and museums. More than 1,100 schoolchildren a year visit the site, which also hosts public events.
“Staff at Poole Museum are heartbroken by this thoughtless act, not least because the house has been extensively restored by volunteers over the past few years,” said Michael Spender, the museum and arts manager at the Borough of Poole.
“We also feel extremely sorry for all the children whose school workshops are going to be affected. We will of course be making alternative arrangements to minimise disruption. We would urge anyone with any information about the fire at the Roman House to contact Dorset Police on 101.”
The fire is believed to have been started at around 8pm on 10 November.
The Roman House was the only authentic reconstruction of a Roman artisan domestic dwelling in the UK. It has been at Upton Country Park since the 1980s.