VII  London (Londinium)

What3words – snail.bring.opera

Visited September 2017

Status – Interesting but not a lot surviving

Contruction Date- 150AD

Capacity - 6000

One of those relatively recent finds that, but for an unexpected discovery and a big investment by the Corporation of London, would  be in the ‘Invisible’ section. The hilltop site occupied by the Londinium  Amphitheatre has survived  two Millennia being built round and over, becoming  an open space at some stage in the 14th century and remaining so ever since.  The final enlarged second century version had a capacity of 6000 and its remains sit beneath Guildhall Square surrounded and partially covered by the Guildhall, the City of London Police museum and the church of St. Lawrence Jewry . As with pretty much every square foot of the city, it’s been built on, dug over, filled in with rubbish and built on over and over again.

In 1988 preliminary excavation prior to construction of the Guildhall Art Gallery, which now stands on the east side of the square and contains some  impressive Victorian paintings,  revealed remnants of walls, a gateway, some drains and the amphitheatre floor.  As this lies about 15-20 feet below the modern square,  it’s now in a purpose built, dramatically lit subterranean display gallery which opened in 2002.  It’s free to get in, and above ground the outline of the arena has been picked out in contrasting dark grey paving stones.

One school of thought says its location within the walls of the Roman settlement rather than outside the gates, indicate it was more likely to be a ‘Military’ rather than a civilian amphitheatre.