THE scorching summer has caused remains of an Roman house to rise to the earth’s surface.

Temperatures reached 30 degrees across the country this year and although it was unbearable at times the prolonged heat and lack of rainwater has revealed a surprise in Colchester.

Not far from the bandstand in Castle Park, remains of a Roman house rose to the surface due to the dry ground cracking.

The remains were first discovered in 1906, when museum curator Arthur Wright visited the park.

September of that year saw temperatures in the UK reach 36 degrees, which for that month is still the highest ever recorded in the country.

There were rows of cracks in the soil and strange lines of parched grass, and the tops of some mysterious foundations were showing just under the surface.

Artist Major Bale was called in to make a measured plan of the marks before the rain came and made them disappear.

In 1920, archaeologist Mortimer Wheeler got the plan out and did some serious digging.

Part of not just one Roman house was found but also a row of three alongside a well-preserved Roman street.

Philip Crummy, director of the Colchester Archaeological Trust, said: “I knew where all the markings were so I went to look and see if the house was showing again this year.

“There have been no obvious new discoveries but I was quite surprised to see how well the old Roman house showed.

“I had never seen it before, I’m familiar with the shape of it but it was good to see the extent of it.

“It’s just where the ground has dried up and there is not much soil between the foundations.

“It’s a process we are familiar with in fields but it doesn’t happen so much in parks.”

The Colchester Archaeological Trust has also started excavating outside the Mercury Theatre, in the hope it will reveal Roman tessellated floors and even mosaics.