Excavation of the basilica

The basilica, the principal public building of the city, was constructed on the site of the legionary bath-house. It served as a court of law and the city’s ceremonial centre. One end of the building was excavated in 1972-6 under the green of the Cathedral Close.

The image shows the massive walls of the basilica overlying the basement of the fortress baths. The date of the construction of the basilica was c. AD 80 or a little later.

Acknowledgments: Exeter Archaeology