Alderney's Roman Fort

Alderney, United Kingdom

There are traces of Roman occupation including a fort, built in the late 300s AD, above the Alderneys only natural harbour. The Alderney Nunnery was probably located on the site of this one best preserved Roman forts in the British Isles.

The 26-foot tall Roman tower  features 10-feet-thick walls. Built of stone and Roman concrete, many of the outer walls are still standing however only fragments remain of the tall tower that would have stood inside the walls, there is a similarity to Roman signal stations built in Yorkshire.

The British are believed to have refurbished the Roman fort in 1793, leveling off the tower walls in the process, according to Heritage Daily. When the German’s invaded the island it appears they inserted a Type 501 bunker neatly between the tower ruins, using the north and south internal walls effectively as shuttering to pour their concrete, according to Dr. Jason Monaghan, who is helping lead the excavation efforts.

The site is newly opened after a major make over. There are story boards, an information room, large WWII bunker and much, much more to explore on this amazing heritage site.

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Address

Alderney, United Kingdom
See all sites in Alderney

Details

Founded: 4th century AD
Category: Prehistoric and archaeological sites in United Kingdom

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Sarah Bancroft (2 years ago)
Interesting free place to visit
SARAH BANCROFT (2 years ago)
Very interesting place. Alot of history. Free to visit. Very informative.
Bianca K (2 years ago)
Informative and good to look around. Excellent beach views and of France on a clear day. Roman Wall on the beach!
David Inglis (3 years ago)
Fascinating history lesson here makes you understand the location and why it's heritage is so important.
Emily Dove (3 years ago)
Spoke to the archaeological team doing a dig there who were really friendly and informative. Obviously they won't be there most of the time but good to see a range of histories presented plus an area of German fortification that is lighted so can explore without feeling too dark and closed in. Small exhibition with finds also.
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