Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Roman Amphitheatre (site of). The site is about 460 yds SW of Richborough Castle and was excavated in 1849 by Smith who found the perimeter wall to be elliptical in plan, 200 ft by 166 ft axis. Entrances were on the N, S and W. It is now under grass and consists of a large oval depression with slight traces of banking on the E and W sides. In 2001 the site was geophysically surveyed. All techniques used responded well and indicated that the buried features to be well preserved and that the remains of the amphitheatre are much larger and more complex, more than one phase, than recorded during antiquarian excavations in 1849. In addition the survey helped identify the probable presence of buildings alongside, especially the NE part of the field. The relationship of these buildings to the amphitheatre is unknown.

Monument Types

• AMPHITHEATRE (AMPHITHEATRE, Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• LIGHTHOUSE? (Roman - 43 AD to 400 AD?)

Full description

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[TR 32055981] ROMAN AMPHITHEATRE [R] (Site of). (1) The Roman amphitheatre site about 460 yds SW of Richborough Castle was excavated in 1849 by Smith who found the perimeter wall to be elliptical in plan, 200 ft by 166 ft axis. Entrances were on the N, S and W. (2) The site of the Roman amphitheatre, now under cultivation, consists of a large oval depression with slight traces of banking on the E and W sides. Published 25" survey correct. (3) To the S of the fortress four sites have produced structural relics of importance. On the highest part of the hill 450 yds from the fortress (to the SW) are the buried remains of a small amphitheatre (see x on illustration card no 1). This has been known and recognised since Leland, who says that in his time, it was called Little Borough. Roach Smith partially excavated it in 1849. It proved to be elliptical in shape, measuring 166 ft by 200 ft, and enclosed by a flint wall 3.5 ft thick (see illustration card no 2). Faced on the outside with local chalk and on the inside with mortar. From the bottom of the inner face of this wall a bed of mortar or cement 2 in thick, spread 15ft towards the centre of the arena, while on this bed and against the wall rested a sloping bank of mixed clay and mortar 8 ft long at the bottom and 7ft high at its highest - perhaps a support for wooden seats. Lastly, three entrances were identified, a large one on the N and two smaller ones on the S and W. On the ruined wall of the western entrance a skeleton was found " lying on its left side, the legs drawn up and the wrists crossing each other. The place had evidently been hollowed out for its reception: most of the bones of the hands and feet were wanting; but, where the right hand had been, a brass coin of Constans was found". This was a post-Roman burial, possibly of an executed criminal. The general date of the amphitheatre may be indicated by the fact that "the coins found among the ruins are confined to the period extending from the time of Gallienus to that of Arcadius, with the exception of one of earlier date- a denarius of Domitian". The period thus suggested is that of the Saxon-shore fortress, and it may be found on further exploration that the amphitheatre was the work of the garrison - the Second Legion - which had long possessed a servicable amphitheatre at its former station, Caerleon. (4) See illustration card. (5) Description of an aerial photograph of Richborough showing Roman amphitheatre. (6)
Survey of 2.4ha over the site of the amphitheatre. All techniques used responded well and indicated that the buried features to be well preserved. The results of the survey indicated that the remains of the amphitheatre are much larger and more complex, more than one phase, than recorded during antiquarian excavations in 1849. The only measurements that roughly correlated are those for the main dimensions of the "ellipse" though this was attributed to the exterior rather than the interior of the amphitheatre. The ellispse now appears more likely to have been the wall separating the arena from the cavea. In addition the survey helped identify the probable presence of buildings alongside, especially the NE part of the field. The relationship of these buildings to the amphitheatre is unknown.(8)

Magnetometer, resistivity and magnetic susceptibitilty surveys undertaken over a 18.7ha area, at Richborough, Kent. The magnetometer survey revealed a complex pattern of settlement activity, roadways and enclosures. Ribbon development along Watling Street accounted for a greater density of readings in that area, whereas weaker responses seem to be associated with an outlying field system. The limit of the settlement was not defined, so further survey work is recommended.(9)

From the National Heritage List for England:

Around AD 85-AD 90, many timber buildings were cleared to make way for the construction of a large, north east-south west aligned rectangular monument designed to celebrate the conquest of Britain and marking what was to become the main port of entry into the province. This lies within the eastern sector of the later Saxon Shore fort. The superstructure has not survived, but the excavations revealed that the great monument was built on cross-shaped rubble footings above a rectangular foundation of mortared flint pebbles, set in a pit measuring 38m by 34.5m and 10m deep. Fragments of the superstructure found during the excavations suggest that it took the form of a quadrifrons, or four-way arch above a cross-passageway, set on a raised plinth. The arch was constructed of ashlar masonry faced with white Carrara marble, decorated with gilded bronze statuary and inscriptions. It measured c.26.5m by c.14.5m and has been estimated to have stood to a height of around 25m. The footings and foundations were left uncovered after the excavation and are still visible. From c.AD 90 to c.AD 250, the former supply base developed into a town associated with a nearby harbour, the site of which is not known for certain, but which may have been destroyed by river erosion on the eastern side of the promontory. The port, known as Rutupiae, is featured on many contemporary road maps and itineries. The early buildings were of timber, but after a serious fire destroyed much of the settlement in c.AD 90, many were rebuilt in stone. The town survives mainly in the form of buried foundations and some buildings are visible as crop marks on aerial photographs. Around 550m to the south west of the great monument is an amphitheatre, used for mass entertainment, public ceremonies and military training, visible as a roughly west-east aligned, elliptical hollow c.60m by c.50m, measuring 3m deep. The hollow, which formed the central arena, is surrounded by a bank c.12m wide rising to a height of up to 2m above the surrounding ground. The amphitheatre was partly excavated in 1849, when the bank was found to be constructed of clay. This originally supported wooden seating which has not survived. Three entrances were found, the largest being through the centre of the northern side of the bank, with two subsidiary entrances to the west and south. The amphitheatre is enclosed by a flint wall c.1m thick faced with chalk blocks.

Additional references (9-11)

<1> OS 25" 1958 (OS Card Reference). SKE48274.

<2> Ants of Richborough etc 1850 52-3 161-72 (CR Smith) (OS Card Reference). SKE33310.

<3> F1 FGA 10-JUN-64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42910.

<4> VCH Kent 3 1932 24-41 (REM Wheeler) (OS Card Reference). SKE51121.

<5> Arch Cant 18 1889 6-14 (G Dowker) (OS Card Reference). SKE34780.

<6> JRS 55 1965 88 (JK St Joseph) (OS Card Reference). SKE45128.

<7> Field report for monument TR 35 NW 1 - June, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE6024.

<8> English Heritage, 2001, Richborough Amphitheatre, Kent: Report on Geophysical Surveys, February 2001 (Unpublished document). SKE7654.

<9> JK St Joseph, 1951-1961, Cambridge University AP Catalogue (OS Card Reference). SKE38482.

<10> English Heritage, 2002, Richborough Environs Project, Kent Report on the Aerial Photographic Transcription and Analysis (Unpublished document). SKE31073.

<11> English Heritage, 2005, Heritage Unlocked: London and the South East (Monograph). SKE54290.

Sources and further reading