74c. AD 74 – c. 410 · Chester

Deva Victrix, Roman Chester

The excavated northern half of Chester's Roman amphitheatre, just outside the line of the city walls — Photo: Jeff Buck. CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Around AD 74 the Second Legion Adiutrix began a fortress on a sandstone ridge above the River Dee, larger than those at York and Caerleon; from 88 the Twentieth Legion held it. Outside its walls stood an amphitheatre for 8,000 or more, the largest military one known in Britain. Chester's medieval walls follow the fortress line on the north and east, where Roman masonry still shows.

Sites

Site 1: Chester Roman AmphitheatrePartly excavated stone arena just outside the fortress's south-east corner.Map ↗
Site 2: Roman Gardens, Pepper StreetColumns and hypocaust pieces gathered from the fortress baths.Map ↗
Site 3: North wall near NorthgateRoman fortress masonry standing in the city wall.Map ↗
Site 4: Grosvenor MuseumOver 150 Roman tombstones from the legion's cemeteries.Map ↗

Guides who take you there

History-only · order never for sale

We haven't found an independent history guide for this yet. Guide here? Tell us about your tours.

Also in Chester

1644Siege of Chester and the Battle of Rowton HeathChester

More from the Ancient World

Read more: reference. Summary written by History-Tours.com.