a quick look at Roman sites and visitor centres

On a Bank Holiday Monday, it seemed like a good idea to look at Roman sites and visitor centres in Britain. This is the result – our preliminary list of Roman sites, remains and reconstructions, and visitor centres and museums, in Britain – starting with Colchester’s Roman circus, of course…

Roman sites and visitor centres:

public buildings –
* Roman circuses
Colchester Roman circus site and centre!!! – with reconstructed stumps of the starting-gates, exposed foundations of part of the circus, and visitor centre, at Colchester in Essex – www.thecolchesterarchaeologist.co.uk/

* amphitheatres
Cirencester amphitheatre and Corinium Museum – Cirencester – www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/cirencester-amphitheatre/ and http://coriniummuseum.org/
Chester – Cheshire – www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/chester-roman-amphitheatre/

* theatres
St Albans Roman theatre and Verulamium Museum – St Albans – www.stalbansmuseums.org.uk

* temples
Colchester and Gosbecks – Essex

* public baths
Bath Roman baths  and temple, with museum – Bath, Somerset – www.romanbaths.co.uk/
Letocetum Roman baths and museum – Lichfield, Staffordshire – www.nationaltrust.org.uk/letocetum-roman-baths/
York Roman Bath Museum –

Roman settlements –
Aldborough Roman site and museum – Yorkshire – www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/aldborough-roman-site/
Wroxeter Roman city – Shropshire – www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/wroxeter-roman-city/
Magnis – Kenchester, Herefordshire
Roman Chester – Cheshire – reconstructed Roman streets – www.dewaromanexperience.co.uk/
Colchester – York – Leicester – Caistor

villas –
Fishbourne Roman palace remains and visitor centre – Sussex – http://sussexpast.co.uk/properties-to-discover/fishbourne-roman-palace
Lullingstone Roman villa – Eynsford, Kent – www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/lullingstone-roman-villa/
Crofton Roman villa – http://cka.moon-demon.co.uk/villa.htm
Brading Roman villa, museum and centre – www.bradingromanvilla.org.uk/
Chedworth Roman villa – www.nationaltrust.org.uk/chedworth-roman-villa/
Great Witcombe Roman villa – www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/great-witcombe-roman-villa/
Bignor Roman villa – www.bignorromanvilla.co.uk/
Sparsholt – Hampshire –
Littlecote – Littlecote Park, Ramsbury, Wiltshire –
Piddington Villa Museum – www.unas.org.uk/magazine/magview.php?ID=3&date=0509
Rockbourne – Hampshire – www3.hants.gov.uk/rockbourne-roman-villa.htm
Welwyn Roman bath house – www.welhat.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=723

town-houses –
Dover – the ‘painted house’ – http://theromanpaintedhouse.co.uk/

roads –
surviving Roman road on the moors – East Yorkshire – www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/wheeldale-roman-road/
two surviving Roman road routes
recently uncovered Roman road at Vindolanda

Roman forts –
Ribchester Roman Museum, with fort and baths – Lancashire – http://ribchesterromanmuseum.org/
Richborough Roman fort and Reculver visitor centre – www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/reculver-towers-and-roman-fort/
Lunt Roman fort and museum, near Coventry – timber and turf, partially reconstructed – www.luntromanfort.org/
Caistor Roman town and fort – www.norfarchtrust.org.uk/caistor
Segontium Roman fort visitor centre – Caernarfon, Gwynedd –  www.nationaltrust.org.uk/segontium/
Ambleside Roman fort – www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/ambleside-roman-fort/
Caerleon Roman fort and National Roman Legion Museum – www.caerleon.net/intro – /www.museumwales.ac.uk/roman/
Trimontium heritage centre – Newstead – www.trimontium.org.uk/wb/
Maryport fort and Senhouse Roman Museum – www.senhousemuseum.co.uk/

Roman ‘Saxon shore’ forts –
Burgh Castle Roman fort – www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/burgh-castle
Pevensey – Sussex – www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/pevensey-castle/
Portchester – www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/portchester-castle/

lighthouses –
Dover Castle – Roman lighthouse –

Hadrian’s Wall –
Hadrian’s wall – www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/hadrianswall/?gclid=CL2s5Nm3x74CFcLItAodVmYAPQ
Corbridge Roman town – www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/corbridge-roman-town-hadrians-wall/
Benwell Roman temple – www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/benwell-roman-temple-hadrians-wall/
Housesteads Roman fort – www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/housesteads-roman-fort-hadrians-wall/
Chesters Roman fort and museum – www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/chesters-roman-fort-and-museum-hadrians-wall/
Birdoswald Roman fort – www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/birdoswald-roman-fort-hadrians-wall
Segedunum Roman fort, with reconstructed military bath-house – Wallsend – www.twmuseums.org.uk/segedunum-roman-fort.html
Vindolanda Roman fort and Roman army museum – www.vindolanda.com/
Arbeia Roman fort and museum: reconstructed late Roman commanding officer’s residence and a barrack-block – South Shields – www.twmuseums.org.uk/arbeia.html
Epiacum Roman fort site, Alston – ‘the best preserved fort in the Roman empire’ – www.epiacumheritage.org/
Binchester Roman fort – www.durham.gov.uk/Pages/Service.aspx?ServiceId=6646
Carvoran fort
Banks’ east turret

around town – urban remains:
Colchester town centre, with remains of Roman theatre, Roman house walls and floors in Castle Park, temple precinct wall in Castle Park, Roman town wall with gateways and guard room, exposed mosaic floor at firstsite art gallery, Roman church, Roman brick in standing post-Roman buildings

museums:
Colchester Castle Museum with Roman imperial temple vaults
Canterbury Museum, with remains of Roman town-house and reconstructed Roman market-place and temple – Kent
Museum of London – London
British Museum – London

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