Preservation
The Rose Playhouse holds a very special place in the history of archaeological science.
It is one of the key sites where the science of archaeological preservation on site was born and developed, paving the way for many important sites to be preserved around the world.
To learn more, and about The Rose’s current status, read on…
Following its discovery and excavation in 1989, the archaeological team realised it was not enough simply to cover the site back over.
The remains of the Rose contain both organic and inorganic elements such as wood and chalk, and the site needs to be kept wet to preserve these organic elements, which are the more difficult to successfully preserve.
A carefully designed scheme of Buckland sand containing a leaky pipe seals the deposits, under a layer of plastic sheeting and weak mix concrete into which water is gradually fed.
The ‘pond’ this creates prevents evaporation of water from below, ensuring that water surrounds the archaeological remains and excludes oxygen. Oxygen would allow soil microbes to thrive, which would then feed on the remains we are trying to preserve.
The conditions are monitored monthly to ensure all is well, and the Historic England Inspector of Ancient Monuments dons her rubber waders and collects water samples from a series of dipwells across the site. The water level, pH, temperature, conductivity and redox potential are measured, as well as saturation levels of the archaeological layers, and the protective sand above.
By continuing to monitor the site, we can be sure that conditions are suitable to allow the remains to remain preserved safely below ground.
Interior view from the south-west corner, looking across the flooded remains up towards the viewing platform on the eastern side.
The red light ropes show the circular outline of the inner wall of the playhouse, and the two different positions of the front of the stage on the northern side of the yard.
Current status
The Rose can tell the visitor a lot about its life between 1587 and 1603.
A raised viewing platform sits on top of the eastern side of the site which is still to be excavated, and looks out over the flooded remains below. Red rope lights laid around the site show the size of the original playhouse, its courtyard or pit, and the position of its two stages.
There is also a small exhibition about The Rose, and the area of Bankside which it occupied in the late 1590s and early 1600s.
Since its rediscovery, the site has also become a venue for public performances.
These began with a production of Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus, staged by The Lion’s Part theatre company, directed by Sonia Ritter, with Anton Lesser as Faustus and David Bradley as Mephistopheles. It opened with a Charity Premiere on Wednesday 29 August 2001 – the very first performance within the walls of The Rose since 1605.
Many other productions have followed, until the pandemic forced The Rose’s closure as a venue in 2020, and it remained closed during redevelopment of the outside of the building in 2022-24.
With that work now complete, the site has now reopened for a limited number of public events, which you can find on our what’s on page.
To find out about our exciting plans for our future, called The Rose Revealed, read on.