Caister-by-Yarmouth, Roman 'Saxon Shore' Fort

Now this is more like it - Roman foundations in a field on a grey day!

The remains at Caister were not recognised as a Fort for some time, being thought to be a mansio or other civilian building.

They are in fact part of the extensive Roman defences to cover the 'Great Estuary' that in the Roman period flooded the valleys of the Yare, Bure, Waveney and Ant - the area of the present Broads National Park.

The sea and marsh turned the hundred of Flegg into an island and permitted navigation up to Venta Icenorum or Caister-by-Norwich - the Civitas capital of the Iceni.

The Estuary and its rich farm lands were protected by forts across the mouth of the Estuary where it entered the North Sea at Caister - seen here, and at Burgh Castle to the south. The Caister fort appears to have been the earlier one, bolt c200AD with classic 'playing-card' design, with Burgh some 70 or 80 years later in the new fort style of the Later Empire.

The remains here are quite meagre, certainly compared to the massive walls at Burgh. What we see in the blip is the paved road-way in front of a barrack block. This block contains several rooms with a hypocaust at one end. It was built in c300 and destroyed by fire in c340.

Caister probably went out of service around the mid 4th Century since it does not appear in the list of 'Saxon Shore Forts' listed in the great list of Late Roman Military installations and units the Notitia Dignitatum.