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CAISTOR ST EDMUND ROMAN TOWN near Norwich (TG 230035)

The Norfolk Archaeological Trust is proud to own 120 acres (48 hectares) the Roman capital of East Anglia, or more precisely the capital of the area of the Iceni tribe led by the famous Queen Boudicca.  After her rebellion was over, the Romans laid out the foundations of their new regional capital in a bend of the River Tas and called it Venta Icenorum - "the market place of the Iceni".

Caistor St Edmund

Caistor St Edmund Roman town.  The one upstanding bastion which remains on the town walls lies at the west end of the town overlooking the River Tas.  
© Sue White.  
The defended centre of the Roman town was given in a bequest to the Trust by the late Mrs F.E. Hawkins in 1984 and the rest was purchased in 1992.  The whole area was opened to the public in 1995, and it is managed jointly with South Norfolk Council.  Visitors are welcome at any time. There are two self-guided walks around the property, one around the Roman defences and one along the River Tas.  A series of interpretation panels will explain the site to you.  The panels cover the archeology and the plant species you may encounter.  Site leaflets showing the walks are available from the Post Office and Wilderbeast Arms in Stoke Holy Cross and the Caistor Hall Hotel.  

A site guidebook is now available through bookshops: 'Venta Icenorum' by John Davies

Look out for:

  • the massive third century defences.  Unlike Burgh Castle, the walls are largely covered with an earth bank except along part of the north side where they can be seen to its full height.

  • in very dry weather the lines of the streets show as brown lines in the grass (see picture)

  • just one wall bastion stands above ground near the river

  • the site of the amphitheatre is visible only as a crop mark.  You will need the site leaflet to locate it on the ground where there is a slight hollow

  • the medieval parish church in the SE corner of the defended area is all part of the site's complicated history.

More detailed information about Caistor:
bullet Site significance bullet Amphitheatre
bullet Prehistory bullet Temple complex
bullet Neolithic and Bronze Age bullet Anglo-Saxon activity
bullet Arminghall Henge bullet The church
bullet Iron Age bullet Early Research
bullet Origin of the Romano-British town bullet Air Photography
bullet Street plan and buildings bullet 1930s excavations
bullet Town walls bullet Recent metal detecting
bullet Suburbs bullet Site acquisition
bullet Further reading bullet Photographs & Plans

 

Access

Turn off the Norwich Southern Bypass at the junction with the A140 and follow signs to Caistor St Edmund.  Follow the brown signs from the village to the car park.  The site is open all year round.

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03-Oct-2008
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