"Calleva Atrebatum................." Silchester by leics

Silchester Travel Guide: 15 reviews and 39 photos

Walls.......................... - Silchester

................the town in the woods of the Atrebates. Once a thriving Iron Age town of the Atrebates tribe, later fully Romanised with grid layout, houses with mosaic floors, baths and amphitheatre. Within it is archaeological evidence for industries such as wood and metal-working, as well as a mansio (a sort of official staging-post for messengers travelling across the Roman empire). Now it stands empty, its ruins covered by pasture, but the flint and mortar walls (with layers of stone for strength) remain; a memory of what once was.

I knew of Silchester, of course; it is a famous Roman site, the museum in Reading is stuffed full of goodies which have been excavated there and it is one of the very few sites which accept volunteer archaeologists (though I haven't dug there). I hadn't realised quite how huge it was though, nor how impressive a walk around its walls (some of which are over 4m in height) would be. Set in the Hampshire countryside, it makes a perfect place for a wander on a sunny autumn afternoon.

Amphitheatre

There was a settlement here from the late first century BC, but when the Romans invaded in 43 AD Calleva Atrebatum became their administrative centre; the first really Romanised town in England, I suppose. At first the town was surrounded by ramparts (the Iron Age town had outer banks and ditches as defence), then the walls were built in the third century AD. There are large gateways to the south and north (from here roads ran to London, Dorchester-on-Thames, Winchester and Salisbury) and it is thought these were originally topped with battlements.

The amphitheatre stands outside the town walls, and was probably built around 50 AD, then rebuilt several times. Its banks were once covered with rows of seats, providing good views for all of whatever entertainment or display was on offer. The Romans provided 'bread and circuses' where possible for all their subjects, even those tucked away in a small island at the edge of the known world!

Roman bricks in the church wall

The walk around the walls is a well-marked 2.8 km, with information boards at intervals. Part of it follows the road; just around the corner from the amphitheatre is a tiny Medieval church.

St Mary the Virgin, tucked inside the eastern Roman wall, dates from the mid to late 13th century (although it is probable that an earlier version was on the site from the 12th century onwards). Sited on an enclosed pagan sacred site, it is built from a mixture of flints, and stones, and Roman rubble; Roman brick and tile can quite clearly be seen in the outer walls. The first churches would have been thatched, and there was certainly no bell-turret.

Within the church are some beautiful Medieval wall-paintings, recently uncovered and restored, which give an impression of what the building was originally like. In the south aisle lies a fourteenth-century effigy of a lady, probably Eleanor Baynard, whose kirtle, cote-hardie and mantle were all once painted in rich colours. Once, a painting on the back of the recess showed her soul rising to Heaven but this is now gone.

A tiny church, but one with a sense of great peace and antiquity, its great yew trees in place as they have been for centuries. It was lovely to find it open; so many English churches are locked these days, sadly. I shall visit again.

Pros and Cons

Pros:The Roman remains
Cons:None that I came across
In a nutshell:A Roman town....

Last visit to Silchester: Nov 2006
Intro Updated Mar 12, 2011
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Reviews (6)

Medieval wall-paintings Off The Beaten Path (2)

Inside the church of St Mary the Virgin (which is open during the day) there are some lovely wall-paintings. Amazingly,... more travel advice

Roman remains in church wall - Silchester

Roman remains........... Off The Beaten Path (2)

The walls of the Roman town are obvious, but if you look closely at the church (especially on the south side) you can... more travel advice

Visit the church................ Things to Do (4)

The church of St Mary the Virgin is built within the Roman walls of Calleva Atrebatum, and its walls are constructed... more travel advice

The amphitheatre..... Things to Do (4)

...............was built around 50 AD, not long after the Roman town was built. The ground level was lowered, and the... more travel advice

Comments (3)

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uglyscot Jan 11, 2013 at 11:23 PM

This looks like a place I must visit. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
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  leics Jan 12, 2013 at 12:51 AM
  
  I certainly wasn't expecting the huge walls and the amphitheatre! It's a really nice place to explore on an afternoon's wander. :-)
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TheWanderingCamel Jan 19, 2009 at 7:14 AM

Silchester was a favourite place for family outings in the days when our son other persona was Marcus (Rosemary Sutcliffe's wonderful Eagle of the Ninth). leyle
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Mariajoy Nov 30, 2006 at 11:46 AM

Fascinating little page J - field walking - what a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon!