Celebrating International Women’s Day: Kathleen Kenyon and Jewry Wall

This International Women’s Day, we’re shining a spotlight on Kathleen Kenyon and her important connection to Jewry Wall.

In the 1930s, Kenyon led excavations at the Jewry Wall site that revealed the remains of a vast Roman bath complex, one of the largest surviving Roman masonry structures in Britain. Her meticulous excavation helped uncover the scale and significance of Roman Leicester (Ratae Corieltauvorum), transforming understanding of the city’s ancient past.

Working in what was then a largely male-dominated profession, Kenyon brought scientific rigour and careful recording methods to the dig. The evidence she uncovered confirmed that this was not simply a fragment of wall, but part of an impressive public bathhouse that once stood at the heart of Roman life in Leicester.

Today, visitors to Jewry Wall can explore the remains of that bath complex and discover the story Kenyon helped reveal. This International Women’s Day, we celebrate her legacy and the vital role women continue to play in uncovering and preserving our shared heritage.