Roman Villa and chapel, Lullingstone

The northern branch of the Pilgrims Way, from Southwark to Canterbury, runs right past this fascinating and unique survivor of Roman-era Christianity

Lullingstone has one of the world’s oldest Christian chapels. Dating from the 4th century, it was found inside the ruins of a Roman villa during its excavation in 1939.

Highlights

• Roman-era chapel
• Site of Christian frescoes (now in British Museum)

Archaeologists are trained for surprises, but even they hardly expected to uncover an early Christian building in rural Kent. Digging through the ruins of one room, they discovered that the plaster had fallen off in chunks. Piecing it back together revealed a large painting of Christian priests at prayer, along with a Chi-Rho monogram (a symbol of an X and a P superimposed, the first two letters of ‘Christ’ in Greek, Χριστός). Such motifs were clearly the decoration of a house chapel, a common place of worship in the earliest years of Christianity. The paintings are now displayed in the British Museum’s section on Roman Britain. They are the earliest known depiction of the ‘orantes’ form of prayer, where priests hold up their hands to pray facing the congregation. This gesture denotes that the priest is praying for the world, and is still commonly used today.  

One of my reference books says this little house chapel could be the world’s second-oldest structure purpose built for Christian worship. It’s an optimistic claim, since it might only be the second oldest in Kent, let alone the world. But it underlines just how rare Lullingstone’s special room is.  

As you stand in the modern visitor complex you can only see the foundations of the chapel walls. There is a basement room underneath, thought to be a pagan shrine where some sort of devotion may have continued after the household converted. A painting of nymphs is just visible in a niche on the left, perhaps depicting water deities. The Christian chapel was simply built on top of the shrine when the household converted in the 4th century, some time after Christianity was legalised in 313. Such evidence of continuity between pagan and Christian religious practice is claimed to be unique in the Roman era, though the Parthenon in Athens is a more famous example of a temple converted into a very early church.  

There is no Christian activity at the villa itself any more, which is in the capable but secular hands of English Heritage. The nearby Church of St Botolph claims some reflected glory from its neighbour. It is less than half a mile away, in the front lawn of Lullingstone Castle, and open to the general public as a parish church.  

Local worship moved from the Roman chapel to a nearby Saxon church, now lost, and ultimately to this Norman building. The church guide claims: “This is the only example known in England of such continuity, stemming from so remote an antiquity.”

The Roman-era church of St Martin in Canterbury might have something to say about that. But there’s no quibble with the guide’s conclusion: “It is the hope and prayer of all that such a thread may never be broken.”

Directions

Lullingstone Roman Villa, Lullingstone Lane, Eynsford DA4 0JA

www.english-heritage.org.uk (search for Lullingstone)

W3W: serves.mice.locker

GPS: 51.3642N 0.1965E

Eynsford railway station 700m

Lullingstone Roman Villa is at the end of Lullingstone Lane, which runs west from Eynsfordvillage. The villa is open daily from April to October and weekends only in the winter, opening times vary. For full details and entry fees, see the English Heritage website or tel: 01322 863467.

For Lullingstone Castle, simply keep driving alongthe narrow Lullingstone Lane for another half amile and the castle is on your left. The church is setin the huge front lawn, freely open to visitors.