At the time of the Roman invasion of Britain under Claudius in AD43, the geography of the Kent Coast was significantly different. Richborough, or more specifically ‘Richborough Castle’ the site of the Roman town, port and later fortifications of Rutupiae, stood on its own small island, connected by bridge or causeway to the mainland, at the southern end of the Wansum Channel which separated the rest of the mainland from the Isle of Thanet (At that time genuinely an island) and provided a natural haven.
It became established as an easily defendable bridgehead for the invasion forces and a town grew up around it. Before it was eventually superseded by the harbour at Dover, it was the main entry port of Brittania and was marked by a massive 25m high triumphal arch forming the gateway to Watling Street, the highway to Londinium.
Since then the Wansum Channel and the one separating the islet from the mainland have silted up and Thanet is no longer an island. The low lying ground created to the east is occupied by fields and industrial plant occupying the site of the Richborough Railway Port which was constructed and expanded in 1916 to provide a depot and base for water transport to service troops fighting in France during World War I. By 1918 the port covered 2000 acres and could handle 30,000 tons of traffic per week including a “roll-on, roll-off” ferry for railway trains, which could move trains carrying troops, tanks and other supplies direct from the factories to the British army on the front line. Part of the construction involved a stretch of railway line which sliced away about a quarter of the site of the Roman Fortifications and any evidence of its waterfront or harbour.
To the south west of the site on a hilltop with commanding views of the walled fortifications and the sea beyond, stood an amphitheatre, constructed using banked turf and chalk blocks with an estimated seating capacity of 7000 It continues to appear as a ring or marked site on ordnance survey maps.
It takes a degree of imagination to visualise how Richborough in general and the Amphitheatre in particular, appeared during Roman occupation. On aerial photographs you can see the ghostly outline of the familiar oval. When you go to find it there are no signposts or way markers. You enter a field over a footpath stile and have to turn north and climb a grassy bank to reach the site. At first all you see is a ploughed field which, when I visited was strewn with stubble from a recent harvest. Gradually you realise that there is a central dip and that the rising ground around you is what remains of the seating banks. Stand on the top and survey the land which falls away in all directions and it starts to make sense. The feel of the amphitheatre is almost stronger than the physical evidence. It is remote, enigmatic and, on a fine day, a great place to visit.
IX Richborough (Rutupiae)
Visited – 2018
What3words location – glee.kickbacks.marginal
Status – Worth it on a sunny day
Capacity- 7000
Construction Date - 50 AD
More recently a 2021 archaeological dig found evidence of retaining walls and stonework gateways, together with some sections of painted plaster on fragments of wall surrounding the piste.