Chester Roman Amphitheatre, Chester

Chester Roman Amphitheatre, Chester

Chester Amphitheatre is a Roman amphitheater. It is the largest uncovered Roman amphitheater in Great Britain. The amphitheater was first discovered in 1929 when gardening works at one of the buildings on the southern end of the arena revealed a long curved wall.

The earliest amphitheater is believed to have been built between 70 and 80 ADE by the Roman army stationed in the Roman fortress of Deva Victrix. The amphitheater was in active use through much of the Roman occupation of Britain and fell derelict following the Roman departure from Britain.

The ruins uncovered today are those of a large stone amphitheater, similar to those found in continental Europe. Historians believe that a smaller wooden amphitheater existed on the site beforehand and excavations since 1999 have shown that the wooden grillage is the base of the seating. Today, only the northern half of the structure is exposed; the southern half is covered by buildings.

There is a myth that the amphitheater was primarily for military training and drill. However, archaeological findings show that the amphitheater was used for cock fighting, boxing, wrestling and gladiatorial combat. Likewise, a number of cheap Roman pots with images of gladiatorial combat were uncovered. This led historians to believe this site was one of the first to create souvenirs for sale.

The amphitheater could easily seat 8,000 people making it the largest Roman amphitheater in Great Britain. Around it, a sprawling complex of dungeons, stables and food stands were built to support the contests, while a shrine to Nemesis, goddess of retribution, was built at the north entrance to the arena. The complex's unusual size and development has led historians to speculate that Chester would have become capital of Roman Britain had the Romans successfully captured Ireland.

Chester Amphitheatre is managed by English Heritage. It was designated as a Grade I listed building. The amphitheater is open daily during daylight hours. There is no admission to walk the grounds.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Chester. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Chester Roman Amphitheatre on Map

Sight Name: Chester Roman Amphitheatre
Sight Location: Chester, England (See walking tours in Chester)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Chester, England

Create Your Own Walk in Chester

Create Your Own Walk in Chester

Creating your own self-guided walk in Chester is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Chester Introduction Walking Tour

Chester Introduction Walking Tour

Chester is a walled city in Cheshire. It was originally founded in 79 AD as a Roman fort with the name Deva Victrix. It was garrisoned until the 4th century when it was abandoned by the Romans. It is thought that the area was settled by Anglo-Saxons during medieval times. It was also briefly occupied by the Danes.

Chester was very important during the Industrial Revolution. This is largely due...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.4 Km or 1.5 Miles
Chester's City Walls

Chester's City Walls

Chester City Walls are the oldest, longest and most complete (missing only just about 100 meters) historic defensive structure in Britain. Walking the full circuit of this ancient fortification provides wondrous views, wherever you choose to go, down into the city, and offers a fantastic insight into Chester's rich history.

First built by the Romans almost 2,000 years ago, the Walls were...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles
Chester's Black-and-white Architecture Tour

Chester's Black-and-white Architecture Tour

While the origins of Chester date back to Roman Times, much of the city center, and by far the greatest part of it, looks medieval. Indeed, if you visit the city, the first thing you notice is the magnificent black-and-white architecture. Despite their appearance, however, the majority of these buildings are Victorian by the time of construction.

The Black-and-White Revival was an architectural...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.0 Km or 0.6 Miles