The following is a note from Brian Philp of the RPH, I am posting it on his behalf, if you have any questions then please e-mail at
wyborn-brown@tiscali.co.uk and I will do my best to get the answers for you, but please give me time to do this.
Letter begins -
The Roman Painted House closed at the end of September, exactly as scheduled, haveing welcomed nearly 7,000 visitors from 58 different countries. Although officially opening at 10.00am it was sometimes possible to open at 9.00am to cater for cruise ship visitors. It is now closed, except for school and group visits, until 1st April as there are very few casual visitors in Dover during the auteum and winter months and it costs about £60.00 per day to keep the monument open.
This inportant visitor centre has been managed and staffed by unpaid volunteers for 37 years for more then 150 days a year. The Painted House has no financial support and even pays DDC an annual ground-rent. All its funds have to come from admission charges, sales and donations. The charges have been kept to a minium to help tourism in Dover. All this good work has probably saved DDC about 3 million since it opened in 1977. Sadly the international importance of this tourist attraction has never been understood by by the official Dover guide and in its 2014 edition the only (tiny) photo relating to the scheme was carefully delated by those responsible.
Even so we are now looking forward to 2015.
letter ends.