Calleva Atrebatum

Now that should get you thinking with a name like that. Calleva Atrebatum also called Silchester it  is a Roman Town not far from Reading. The site was founded by the Atrebates tribe in the first century BC and the walls enclosed area of about 79 acres. After the Roman conquest of Britain in 43AD it was settled and enlarged to 99 acres which is where name Calleva Atrebatum came in.
After the Romans left the Saxons avoided the place making there main towns Winchester & Dorchester so Silchester became deserted and left to neglect for a couple of millennia.
Excavations have taken place since the 1890's and Reading University have become involved since 1970. I have visited the place before with my children when they were young but my wife & I decided to visit the place again and get a few photos.

 These three pillars are in the main carpark and were not here the last time I visited

 Check the map  of the place out first and get an idea of the layout

The walls are on the right here and you can walk all the way round

Lots of wild snowdrops are growing here

This is another of the information boards scattered around the site

This is looking across where the town was towards the South Gate

 We went left along the top of the walls

Where you can see some parts of it still in good condition

Apart from the odd tree growing on it

This is the North Gate, if you had taken this in Roman times you would have gone North to Dorchester on Thames passing through the village I live in

Some information on the gate

This is the west side of the gate

The wall on the east side 

A cross section though the gate showing the way the wall and gate was built

 The wall a bit further round looking towards the East Gate

You can walk along the base here 

Back on top, you can see a lump of ivy growing which is part of the problem causing the deterioration of the walls

The Romans certainly knew how to build a straight wall

Looking back to the North Gate where you can see it curves

Looking to the East Gate

The wall which I think is in great condition considering the age

Another section of wall 

The wall further on with what looks like one of the watch towers 

Near the East Gate is St Mary The Virgins a church just inside the walls, there is also a car park here as well

Not far away you can find the Amphitheatre with an information board to read

This place I found really interesting, mid you you could fit it inside the one at Pompeii easily

This is the arena were it all went on

 But I think the two stitch photos give a better idea as to what it looks like

The two people were walking round the arena at the time and give an idea as to the size.

There is a track leading through the centre which passed the centre of the town

Where you can stop off and read about it

And look over at the excavation going on

with another information board

The dig was full of water so it will need pumping out before any more work can be done there.

We did the walls in two parts and after having a picnic walked round to the South gate part way along the base of the walls

which were overgrown in many places

Till you come to near the gate where it is clear

And a couple more information boards are in evidence, one on the local tribes

and one about the South Gate

Which when you see it is a lot bigger than the remains of the North Gate

Looking across the gate to the East Gate

Some of the wall further along from the South Gate

More of the wall which seem bigger on this side

From the walls here you can see Silcheter Church

A Little further along is a brake in the wall where you can walk on either side

From here we walked to the Church where we walked back

St Mary the Virgin from the wall. My wife & I spend a few hours walking round the place I hope you found what we saw interesting.

Castles & Forts

The UK is scattered with the remains old castles and forts, just look at an Ordnance Survey map and you will see them marked up.  Many when you see them are just  pile of earth others are recognizable. In this blog I will show some of the ones that I visited.

 I will start with a hill fort which is not far from where I live, Wittenham Clumps, this is an Iron Age hill fort and if you walk round it you can see the surrounding ditch that was part of the defense. The hill is called Castle Hill now but dominated the surrounding area.
Not far away is another fort like this only without the ditch.

This is called Blewburton Hill and on the OS map it is marked Fort, it also has terracing.

Nearby in a village called South Moreton you can find a mound behind the church which looks like an old Motte & Bailey

 Not so far away you can see what was probably a siege castle though you can see the remains better when you pass by on the train





The castle was most likely  used for siege of Wallingford Castle which is the next one I will show

 It was built sometime after 1086. It was used regularly by Royalty untill the town was hit buy the black death when it declined  and some of the castle was demolished for the stone to be used on Winsor Castle. After the Royalists held out for 65 days in the civil war Cromwell ordered  it destroyed
There is not much let to see of the old castle though some walls do remain

Some of the stone was used on the tower of St Mary-Le-More 
in the town.
Walking over castle meadows you can see the dips and mounds from where the walls and moats were.













Looking round the site shows the place was large indeed.
All these castles and forts you have just seen are within about 5 miles of where I live.





                                                                                                

The next few I will show are in Wales, the first is  Tretower Castle

Which also has a small museum that you have to pay to get in, not sure it  was open when I visited  but from the photos I have seen it is worth a visit if your passing.

A little way  over the Welsh boarder along the A44 you come to New Radnor where you can see a castle mound above the trees.

Nice view from the top

The ditch between the mounds

Along the A44 after New Rador you can see Tomen Castle  

And further along Castell Crugerydd

If you turn left towards Builth Wells after Tomen Castle you will come to Hundred House and you can see this mound that looks like it may have been a fort at some time.

A  short distance away is Colwyn castle

Its owned by Fforest Farm so ask if you want to look round the site

You can make out the out like of the old Norman castle and you can see a moat.

I you visit the Fforest field campsite down the road you can see a Motte & Bailey

Nearer Builth Wells you visit Aberedw castle

A lot of the ruined walls are there and you can see a lot of the outline

though a lot of one side was robbed when the old railway was run past the place

Finally on this blog we come to Builth Castle which would have dominated  the river crossing of the Wye nearby

 Only mounds and ditches can be seen now

Though you do get a good view from the top.






Those are a few of the Castles I have visited on my travels round the UK there are many more you can see some that are in better condition and others little more that what I have shown. Next time you go for a walk look at the Ordnance Survey map of the area and see if you can find any castles to visit

Insurance Fire Plaques

The other day while walking round Thame in Oxforshire my wife pointed out a plaque on a wall she thought was a date for the house. I explained it was an Insurance Fire Mark which were quite common on houses back in the 17th century and indicated that the house would be safe in the event of a fire, safe that is if you were up todate with your insurance the company fire brigade would extinguish it for you. Mind you only if they got there in time. I thought that the marks would be a good idea for a blog so I'll show a few of the ones I have come across

 The first time I came across them was while walking round a village called Blewbury which is just off the downs in what was Berkshire

  Along the London road I noticed this mark high up on a cottage wall.

The next time I was in the Village I spotted this one which was a different type

Then a round the corner along a road called Nottingham Fee a familiar one high on the wall of a house.

I noticed this one was in a village called Drayton just off the green. I stopped to take a photo of this mark only to be asked by a neighbor what I was doing and could they help. Nothing wrong in looking out for next door is there. I told them and they said look along the Causeway there are a number of houses with them.

They were right about that, and all of them different

Looks like it was painted over at one point

You can just make this one out forming part of the decoration at the bottom

 The next two were on the same house  I don't think they are on the original house and most likely put on as decoration

One was used as a house name
It was called Phoenix House along the Bromyard Road in Worcester

This cottage in Thame has mark on it

which I might add this is one I have not seen before.

 I will leave you with this one I saw in Drayton which was still painted. Hope you have enjoyed the ones I have shown though I could not say if the markers are on the original building, some clearly look like that are others have been moved. If you walk around an old part of a town or village in the UK and spot a marker like I have shown then you know what it is.