XIV Chichester (Noviomagus Reginorum)

What3words – glory.oval.holly

Visited May 2021

Status – Nearly Invisible

Construction date - AD70-90

Capacity - 5,000

There is an argument that this one should be on the ‘Invisible’ list. I’m letting it off because it’s first, near where I live, secondly, not built over, thirdly a little bit visible in the curve of a section of fence and the topography of the playing field where it stands and fourthly, marked by an information panel.

Chichester is a fine city with an almost complete Roman Wall, a short distance from the stunning Roman Palace at Fishbourne and sporting a rather excellent cathedral both of which are well worth a visit. The downside is the traffic, particularly on the nearby A27.

My Amphitheatre visits stalled with the onset of Covid Lockdown and I managed a trip to Chichester because my second vaccination was at the local leisure centre.

The buried remains are elliptical in plan and about 70m north to south by 60m east to west. It has a gravel floor 1.2m below ground-level and an inner wall faced with timber, which was plastered and painted. The gates and entrance passage linings are constructed of flint and mortar. Surrounding the inner wall was the cavea which has been identified as an earth bank (now buried) about 1.8m high. It is complete except for where it has been partially destroyed by housing development on the south-west side.

The site was partially excavated between 1934 and 1935 but has since been back-filled. The amphitheatre is thought to have been erected between about AD 70 and AD 90. Evidence suggests that it may have been abandoned by the end of the 2nd century AD and robbed of building material, possibly for the construction of the town defences. An excavation undertaken nearby in 1996 revealed gravel pits, possibly related to its construction.