Discovering Roman Norfolk

Caistor St Edmund Roman Town, also known as Venta Icenorum, was the largest Roman settlement in East Anglia. Initially established in the AD 70s, the town was unenclosed, with the banks and walls that are visible today not constructed until the 3rd century AD. Designed around a grid of streets, the town featured hallmark Roman structures, including an amphitheatre to the south of the walled area and a temple to the northeast, in addition to those at its center. It also boasted running water, public baths, a town hall (basilica), and a central forum.

The site remained occupied into the early Anglo-Saxon period, with evidence of habitation continuing into the early 6th century. However, the Roman buildings and infrastructure were left to deteriorate over time. By the 8th century, Venta Icenorum was abandoned as Norwich emerged as the region’s civic center. Unlike most Roman towns, it was never built over in later centuries, making it one of only three such sites in the country. This unique preservation offers an exceptional opportunity to study its below-ground archaeology.

In the 1830s, cropmark evidence first brought attention to the location of the Branodunum (Brancaster) Fort, and subsequent excavations uncovered Roman artifacts and materials. It is believed that the fort, likely built between 225 and 250 AD, replaced an earlier structure. The garrison consisted of units from Gaul and Dalmatia. Artifacts found within the fort suggest it was occupied during the third and fourth centuries AD. The fort’s layout follows a typical design, positioned on a ridge with a rampart enclosure, a stone wall, and surrounding ditches. Each of the four walls has a central gateway, with connected guard chambers, and each corner of the fort is rounded with internal turrets.

Over time, the fort’s walls deteriorated and were demolished in 1770. The materials were then repurposed in the construction of the Great Malthouse at Brancaster Staithe (NHER 1377).

Artifacts recovered from the fort include a silver ring, a knife, bone and ivory pins, deer antler, tiles, pottery, coins, and oyster shells. Oysters were a common part of the Roman diet, as they had a strong preference for fish. The presence of oyster shells during fieldwalking is often a reliable indicator of Roman activity in the area. Additionally, an excavation revealed the remains of six or seven individuals, including a child. A gold ring was also discovered, featuring two heads and an inscription reading VIVAS IN DEO (“live in God”), suggesting Christian origins.

A Bronze Age ring ditch, a Roman bridge, a corn drying kiln, a drain, floors, hearths, a hypocaust, a mausoleum, lime works, an inn, and a fort have all been discovered at Caister-on-Sea. Excavations began as early as 1837 when skeletons, coins, and pottery sherds were uncovered in a pit lined with Roman tiles, continuing through to 1997. The fort itself was originally positioned along the shoreline of a large estuary that extended inland to the south. Today, what remains are the western section of the fort’s interior and parts of its defensive structures. The fort was likely divided into a rectilinear grid of streets. Its construction dates back to the early third century AD, with artifacts ranging from military equipment to personal items such as hairpins, indicating the presence of women in the fort, possibly from the late third century onwards.

By the late second century AD, southeastern England’s coastline faced increasing threats from Saxon raiders, prompting the construction of defensive structures, much like those found elsewhere in Roman Europe. A defining characteristic of these shore forts was their formidable stone walls, reinforced by an inner earth mound and surrounded by ditches. Parapets and turrets would have been positioned at regular intervals along the fortifications.

The Caister-on-Sea fort follows a relatively typical shore-fort design. The wealth of archaeological evidence found within its remains has been invaluable in dating the site. Since few shore forts have survived, those that remain are of national significance, offering crucial insights into Roman strategic military policies during their occupation.

Burgh Castle Roman Fort is one of Britain’s most well-preserved Roman sites and the most prominent landmark in the area. Built in the late 3rd century, it was part of the Saxon Shore Fort system, a network of coastal defenses designed to protect against Saxon incursions. Known as Gariannonum during the Roman period, the site later became Burgh Castle, with “Burgh” deriving from the Old English word for a stronghold or fortification.

Perched on the edge of the Broads, the fort overlooks the River Waveney, offering panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. Though its fourth wall collapsed into Breydon Water long ago, the remaining massive stone walls stand largely intact, providing a remarkable example of Roman military engineering. Just beyond the fort’s walls, aerial photographs reveal the probable site of a Roman vicus, a civilian settlement, along with evidence of a Roman field system excavated by the Norfolk Archaeological Unit.

A wealth of Roman artifacts—including coins, pottery, brooches, and personal items such as rings—offers insight into the daily lives of those who lived, worked, and farmed in and around the fort. Today, visitors can walk along the walls, explore its rich history through different phases of use, and appreciate the peaceful natural setting that surrounds this historically significant site.