Silchester was a Romano-British civitas-capital of the Atrebates on the present Hampshire-Berkshire border. Development after the invasion was swift, with street-grid, large central timber structures, and possibly the baths. At the centre was the stone-built, Hadrianic forum. Other public buildings included an amphitheatre and temples. Objects indicate occupation into the 5th cent., but thereafter the site was deserted.
Silchester
| British History: Silchester |
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| Archaeology Dictionary: Silchester, Hampshire, UK |
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A major Roman city (Calleva Atrebatum) of some 43ha which is remarkable because it was not occupied in the post-Roman period and now survives in open countryside. Extensive excavations during the late 19th century, together with more recent campaigns directed by George Boon in the 1950s and 1960s, and Michael Fulford since 1974, provide a detailed picture of the development of the site.
Occupation started in the late 1st century bc when a series of earthworks defined an oppidum site of the Atrebates. Following the Roman conquest the settlement was made into the cantonal capital of the region and was enclosed within a series of perimeter walls defining an irregular octagon in plan. Internally a regular street grid was laid out with the usual range of central administrative buildings such as the forum and basilica. Some areas within the walled town appear to have been occupied as urban farms, while elsewhere there were well-appointed town houses. Several temples are known inside the town, and there is an amphitheatre to the northeast. There is a possible early Christian church of the 4th century ad. The site was abandoned in the later 5th or early 6th century ad.
[Rep.: M. Fulford and J. Timby, 2000, Late Iron Age and Roman Silchester. London: Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies]
| Columbia Encyclopedia: Silchester |
Silchester (sĭl'chĭstər), village, Hampshire, S England. It is noted for the ruins of the Roman-British town Calleva Atrebatum. The outside walls (2,760 yd/2,524 m in circumference), forum, amphitheater, and entire plan of the city, including baths and several temples, were revealed through excavations beginning in the 1890s. Small articles were removed to Reading Museum.
| Wikipedia: Silchester |
For the Roman town, see Calleva Atrebatum.
Silchester is a village and civil parish in the English county of Hampshire. It is best known for the adjacent archaeological site and Roman town of Calleva Atrebatum, which was first occupied by the Romans in about AD 45 and includes what is thought to be the best-preserved Roman wall in Great Britain.
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Location
Silchester is located at grid reference SU627620, 10 miles (16 km) south-west of Reading and 5 miles (8 km) north of Basingstoke. The village is sometimes referred to as Silchester Common, as that is where it stands, some distance from the parish church and the old manor (now Manor Farm) just within the eastern walls of the Roman town.
Local government
Silchester is a civil parish with an elected parish council. Silchester parish falls within the area of Basingstoke and Deane District Council and of Hampshire County Council and all three councils are responsible for different aspects of local government. At the 2001 census the parish had a population of 918.
Amenities
Silchester has its own primary school, but children aged 11 to 16 that receive normal (state-funded) education are likely to attend The Hurst Community College in Baughurst.
The medieval parish church of St Mary stands just within the old Roman walled town, probably on the site of a Roman temple. It has a fine rood screen, an canopied pulpit and several minor church monuments.
The village public house is called the Calleva Arms, a reference to Calleva Atrebatum, the large Roman town lying near the present village. There is an active community with regular events and village activities through the year including a fun run, village fair and music festival. Pictures of these and many other community events can be seen at Pete's Silchester Pages. The village is also famed for the amateur dramatic society, the Silchester Players.
Awards
Silchester was voted "Hampshire Village of the Year" (2008) and "South England Village of the Year" (2009) in the Calor Village of the Year competition.
External links
- Roman remains
- Reading Museum web site on Silchester Roman Town
- Silchester Music Festival
- Silchester Players
- Silchester Cricket Club compete in the *Hampshire Cricket League (finishing 5th in Division 3 North East 2009 season)
Coordinates: 51°21′12″N 1°6′5″W / 51.35333°N 1.10139°W
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- Atrebates (in archaeology)
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