Caister Roman Fort was a short walk from where we were staying during our recent trip to Great Yarmouth.
It was part of a chain of forts that were built to act as defence mechanisms to Saxon seaborne invaders, and was occupied by the Roman army and navy. The fort occupied a small island on the north side of the estuary of the rivers Yare, Waveney, Bure and Ant. These were important routes into East Anglia, where people lived in settlements, and are now mostly dry and have become modern Great Yarmouth.
It was built around AD 200 as a military base unit, but archaeological objects such as beads, brooches, bracelets and hairpins have been found (as well as spearheads, arrowheads and masculine buckles) suggesting that women and children lived alongside the soldiers, as families.
This map shows the estuary as it was then. During my time in Great Yarmouth I took a trip out to Burgh Castle, which also had a fort, built around AD 260. One of these forts was thought to be known as Gariannonum. Caister-by-Norwich (not to be confused with modern Caister-on-Sea) was an important large town during these times.
Part of the fort and its defences were discovered during archaeological digs between 1951 and 1955. It is not a large, or deep, fort and the remaining foundations are only about 18 inches high at best. I'll refrain from describing it as 'bas-relief' as it was a very significant find and not quite that shallow!
It was a beautiful sunny day when we popped along. We were descended upon by about 30 primary school children working on a project, but there was enough room for all of us and they didn't disturb me.😄
You enter from Norwich Road via the south gate, and the area is surrounded by houses as the original area is largely silted over. Here is the view from that angle. There would have been a perimeter wall, and what we can see is only about one eighth of the fort.
The view from the other end...
This was thought to be a fireplace...
These show the foundations of the hypocaust (underfloor heating system). Who can deny that the Romans were very clued-up when it came to construction?
The modern steps down into the fort. Population and development always cause land to rise over time.
There was a cobbled alley running along the south side of the fort and this is part of the wall which was the other side of it.
Caister was a larger than usual fort, so when it was built it would have included headquarters, barracks, stables, workshops, stores and granaries. The interior would have been divided into a grid of streets.
Remains of a house, which was completed in AD 300 on the site of an original wooden house, and burnt down, for whatever unknown reason, have been excavated. Its original purpose is unknown and it was single storey and divided into at least seven rooms. Evidence of comfortable living was found, in the form of plaster from inside the house decorated with elaborate designs. It was also believed to serve a business function, with a workshop and butcher's shop included.
It was named Building 1 by its excavators, is the section to the right of the photograph and there really is not a lot left of it.😐
Caister Roman Fort is nothing to get yer knickers in a twist about, but is worth half an hour of your time if you happen to be in the area.
TTFN
The Miss Elaineous.
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