Calleva Atrebatum Archaeological Site

Calleva Atrebatum is the Roman town usually referred to by its English name, Silchester, located at the village of Silchester in southern England. It is a major archaeological site notable for its surviving Roman town plan and earthworks.

Visitors encounter substantial earthworks marking the Roman town walls, visible street lines, and an amphitheatre just outside the walled area; excavated foundations and exposed remains illustrate the town layout. The site provides clear examples of Roman urban planning and building remains in Britain.

Originally an Iron Age settlement of the Atrebates tribe, the site was developed as a Roman town following conquest in the 1st century AD and remained occupied through the Roman period. After Roman administration ended the town declined and was largely abandoned during the early medieval period.

The Roman town sits adjacent to the modern village of Silchester in southern England, within a rural landscape between the larger settlement areas of Reading and Basingstoke.

• Roman town plan: Silchester preserves a largely intact Roman street grid and town plan that can be read on the ground; excavation finds from the site are held in regional museums.

What to See#

• Town walls: The town walls form a near-complete Roman-era circuit visible as earthworks and revetments, enclosing the archaeological footprint of the Roman town.
• Amphitheatre: An earthwork amphitheatre lies to the south of the walled town and is visible on-site as a large oval hollow used in Roman times for spectacles.
• Forum and street plan: The forum/basilica area and street grid have been revealed by excavation and are visible as foundations and buried features across the site.

Calleva Atrebatum (Silchester) is near the village of Silchester, accessible from Reading or Basingstoke by road. The site is signposted off local B-roads; nearest railway stations are in Reading and Basingstoke with onward bus or taxi connections.

• Bring a good map-visible earthworks are best appreciated with a plotted plan to understand street grids and fortifications.
• Wear sturdy walking shoes; site trails can be uneven.
• Combine with a visit to nearby Silchester village where the Roman theatre and museum displays sit.