Richborough Castle and Roman Fort: History & Visiting Guide 2025

Richborough Castle is a very impressive ruin, with walls still soaring to several metres high and standing on a site of a Roman settlement once known as Rutupiae just outside the town of Sandwich.

This ancient fort used to be a busy Roman town with an important sea port during the Roman invasion of Britain in AD 43. Its strategic spot next to the Wantsum Channel and near the Stour River made it a key entry point into Roman Britain. It was also the start of Watling Street, a major Roman road that connected this area of Kent with London.

Richborough’s change from a military site with simple earthworks to a full civilian town shows the Roman Empire’s wide-reaching influence. The military presence grew a lot with the building of a Saxon Shore fort around 277, which was likely ordered by the Roman Emperor Carausius.

Even though Richborough is now inland, you can still see parts of its original shoreline and outer walls, to give you an idea what the place looked like all those years ago. Where the sea was, you can now hear the trains running and the sea is quite a few miles away.

I’ve visited the Richborough Castle and Fort several times over the years and as the site is quite large, there is always something new to learn and see. It’s has a fascinating history and walking around the ruins really makes the past come alive.

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What I like about Richborough Castle & why it’s a great place to visit

Richborough Castle and Roman Fort is a large scale ruin, but because it’s so big, it’s easy to imagine what it would have looked like in the Roman times. You can easily spend a couple of hours walking around the walls and the inner ‘town’ with the ‘streets’, church and the wooden replica gateway.

I really like the audio guide, that takes you through the main areas of the fort. It’s so much easier to listen to something whilst you wonder around than trying to read a booklet.

There was not a lot of people there when I visited last time, so I was able to take my time and see everything in very slow pace. A cup of coffee and flapjack from the coffee machine at the ticket office and shop was a definitely welcomed since it was pretty windy day and I already clocked up several thousands steps by then!

The Richborough Fort is best to visit on a nice day, as everything apart from the little museum is outdoors and there is nowhere to hide away from rain or wind.

How Richborough Fort got it’s name

The name potentially originates from British Celtic rutu- which implies “rust” or “mud,” similar to the Welsh term rhwd. The variation of the word Ritupiae suggests a more explicit British origin, which possibly includes ‘ritus‘, meaning “ford” or Welsh rhyd, which also means a crossing place between an island and the mainland.

The reason for the fort location during Roman conquest (43 AD)

Richborough is recognised as the probable entry position for the Romans during the Claudian attack in AD 43, identified by the defensive twin V-shaped ditches, which you can still see outside the fort. These ditches, stretching over 650 metres in length, ran parallel to the Roman shoreline and were protecting the landing zone.

Although the exact site of this significant historical event remains a topic of academic discussion, it’s widely suggested that the crossing benefitted from one of the shortest and easiest journeys across the English Channel. Richborough, overlooking the expansive Wantsum Channel which separated the Isle of Thanet from the rest of Britain, was protecting this strategic waterway.

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The development of the fort settlement

As the Roman front lines moved north, the area transitioned from a military supply base into a thriving civilian town.

By the 2nd century, the town was at its peak, with improvements like turning a wooden guest house for officials into a stone building. The whole town covered about 21 hectares and had houses, streets, temples, bath houses and also an amphitheatre.

At the time Richborough was also one of the main places to get oysters from. Even with competition from Portus Dubris (modern-day Dover) along the coast, Richborough’s oysters were famous across the Roman Empire. They were often compared to those from Italy’s Lucrine Lake in literature, with “Rutupine shore” becoming a term Latin authors used to refer to Britain.

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Victory Triumphal Arch Monument (85 AD)

Around AD 85, Richborough had a huge four-sided triumphal arch built to celebrate the Romans’ complete conquest of Britain after a major battle up north.

The arch, almost 25 meters tall and covered in Italian granite, stood over Watling Street and marked the official entrance to Britannia. It had detailed sculptures and inscriptions, and its construction was credited to the Emperor, showing his control over the newly conquered land.

Later on, the Romans took apart the arch and reused its materials to build a coastal fort on the same spot.

Building a coastal defence around the fort (3rd century)

In the late 3rd century, the civilian settlement at Richborough was transformed into a coastal defense fort as part of the ‘Saxon Shore’ forts, likely to protect against Saxon raiders.

The fort was built between 277 and 285 and the triumphal arch was dismantled around that time too. The fort area covered about 5 acres and was surrounded by strong walls.

Differences in the construction methods of the northern and southern walls suggest the fort was built in stages. Inside, there were both wooden and stone buildings, including what was likely the main headquarters (principia) and a small set of stone baths.

Richborough Fort Amphitheatre

A short walk from the main area, you can also see the remains of an old amphitheatre, now just a noticeable earth mound.

This amphitheatre could hold up to 5,000 people and was in use throughout Romans stay in Britain, as shown by 2021 excavations. These digs uncovered surprisingly well-preserved red and blue paint on the arena walls, a rare find in Britain. There is also a room with well-preserved walls that was probably used to hold fighters or wild animals before they entered the arena.

A possible site of a church at the fort

As you walk through the site, you can also see a mysterious, heavily eroded structure that is thought to be a baptismal font, which dates back to the late 4th or early 5th century. It’s a hexagonal shape and was discovered during previous archaeological digs. This find suggests that Christian baptisms likely happened here and that there might have been a wooden church building there previously.

Fort Slow Decline

After the Roman administration fell, the Romans left Richborough. Later, a Saxon religious community moved in and took over the area.

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Archaeological discoveries

Archaeologists have been digging at Richborough for many years. In 1849, they discovered that the amphitheatre site had been reused as a burial ground.

More important digs have happened from the early 1900s up to recent ones in 2008 and 2021. These efforts have uncovered parts of the old Roman coastline and the colourful interior of the amphitheatre.

Modern interpretation of the fort history

Recent additions to Richborough include a reconstructed wooden gateway based on the Roman original from AD 43, strategically build in the middle of the fort.

Don’t miss the views from the top of the wooden gate. I definitely got better understanding of how the fort could have looked like before it become a ruin. On a clear day, you can also see as far as Reculver towers, which was another Roman settlement.

There is also a new interpretation of the artefacts found at Richborough at the little museum room next to the ticket office and the shop..

Practical information for visiting Richborough Roman Fort

Location: Richborough Roman Fort and Amphitheatre, Off Richborough Road, Sandwich, Kent, CT13 9JW

Opening Times: open weekends only during the winter ( 10am-4pm) and daily April-October (10- 6 pm)

Facilities: Large (free) car park, eco-toilets, coffee & tea machine (ask the staff at the ticket office), ice-creams and snacks available.

Ticket Prices:

  • Adult ticket: £10.50
  • Child ticket (ages 5-17): £7.00
  • Concession ticket: £8.70
  • Family ticket (1 adult + 3 children): £15.60
  • Family ticket (2 adults + 3 children): £23.50
  • English Heritage Members: Free

How to get to Richborough Roman Fort

  • Train: Take a train from London St Pancras to Sandwich station. The journey takes around 1 hour 40 mins. From Sandwich station, the fort is a 2 mile walk or a short taxi/bus ride away.
  • Bus: Take a bus from London Victoria Coach Station to Sandwich. The journey takes around 2 hours. From Sandwich bus station, the fort is 1.5 miles away and can be reached by bus or taxi.
  • Drive: Drive from London taking the M2 and A256 towards Sandwich. The drive is around 2 hours. Exit at Sandwich and follow signs to the Roman fort. Parking is available onsite.

If you are already staying in Sandwich or thinning of visiting the town on the same day, here is how to get to Richborough Roman Fort from Sandwich:

  • Walk: The fort is located around 1.5 miles from Sandwich town center. The walk takes around 30 minutes along a paved path and roads 
  • Bus: Local buses 87 and 88 run from Sandwich bus station to a stop near Richborough Fort. The journey takes 5-10 minutes
  • Car: From Sandwich, head north on Richborough Road for around 1 mile. There is parking available at the fort. The drive takes 5 minutes

This blog post was originally published on 24 January 2024 and last updated on 24 January 2024

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