THE historic Roman Town House in Dorchester is getting a cash boost to improve its facilities for visitors.

Dorchester Heritage Joint Committee is giving £4,000 towards costs for interpretation on the site.

John Lowe, who is historical environment manager with Dorset County Council, gave a presentation to committee members detailing the improvements made in the last year and plans in the pipeline.

Afterwards he said the grant was a boost towards the total cost of £107,000 for the full scheme.

But the project would have to be scaled down if full funding could not be found.

He said: "We are putting together a bid for Heritage Lottery Funding and if that's successful the project would have £77,000 to work with.

"Work has already been carried out in the past year or so. The land form around the site now has disabled access with a new path and ramps, and we've put in a rainwater drainage system."

A stone seat designed by Royal Academy artist John Maine has also been incorporated.

He said AC Archaeology has also completed a report that gives a fuller picture of the history of the house, situated in the grounds of County Hall.

The building developed in four phases and is believed to have had a granary in its upper floor.

Mr Lowe said the committee's grant would go towards interpretation on the site. The scheme would include a website and information panels in the approach and at the site itself to tell visitors about the town house, what it was like to live there and about its archaeology and conservation.

Plans also include marking the infant burial places on the site and installing supplementary lighting to help visitors see the rooms on dark days.

The interpretation and other improvements were part of an overall management plan involving educational use, visitors and conservation.

He said: "It's a very unusual project. We're trying to do it so that people have got free access there."

Previous studies of how to manage the site included looking at manning the site and having turnstile access - both were rejected by the county council in favour of an open access.

Mr Lowe said: "The site was well excavated in the 1930s so we don't think there's much more there. But there's an awful lot about the Roman town that we don't know. Dorchester doesn't conform to the conventional Roman town in many ways but we won't find out why now because the town centre has been developed."

A Roman activites and finds day is being held at the town house on July 15.

Claire Pinder, who is a senior archaeologist with the county council, said: "This is the first time we've done this. We're having a re-enactment group dressed as soldiers who will give a marching display and there will be a recreation of the domestic side of Roman life including what it was like to live in the rooms of the Roman town house."

She said a range of activities was planned for children and adults and she hoped people would come along dressed as Romans.