Name: Chester Roman Amphitheatre
Rating: 5.0

Chester Roman Amphitheatre

Little St. John Street, Chester CH1 1RE, UK

1-99 Years

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Description

The Roman amphitheatre at Chester was the largest in Britain. Used for entertainment and military training, there have been two stone-built amphitheatres on the site. The first included access to the upper tiers of seats via stairs on the rear wall, as at Pompeii, and had a small shrine next to its north entrance. The second provided seat access via vaulted stairways. The two buildings differed from each other and from all other British amphitheatres, underlining the importance of Roman Chester.

Chester Roman Amphitheatre was built in the late first century AD, when many such buildings were being constructed throughout the Roman Empire. It lay just outside the south-east corner of the Roman legionary fortress, and was probably used both for entertainments and for practising troop manoeuvres and weapon training.

Free Entry. If you are looking for Best place for day out with kids and families then this is the perfect destination offering fun, adventure, and unforgettable memories for everyone.

Features

Paid
Host birthday parties: No

Features

Chester Roman Amphitheatre was built in the late first century AD, when many such buildings were being constructed throughout the Roman Empire. It lay just outside the south-east corner of the Roman legionary fortress, and was probably used both for entertainments and for practising troop manoeuvres and weapon training.
Only about two-fifths of the oval amphitheatre is visible; the rest lies unexcavated behind the brick wall. In the excavated part, two entrances have been exposed – the larger lies on the long axis to the north, while the smaller lies on the short axis to the east. Lining the arena is the original stone wall, although, owing to later removal, some sections are missing and there is modern concrete backing.
Excavations in the 1960s suggested that the building was originally constructed entirely of wood, but further archaeological investigation in 2001 cast doubt on this theory. The stone structure seen today had an outer wall 9 feet (2.7 metres) thick, marked out by concrete slabs set in the grass. Inside it ran a corridor linking the entrances that led to stairways taking the spectators up into the seating area.

Facilities

Parking: There are several paid car parks in the city centre a short walk from the Amphitheatre.
Food & Drinks: There are shops, food outlets nearby in the city centre.
Toilets: There are toilets nearby in the city centre.

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Price

Price: Paid

Price Details

Free Entry.

Pricing URL: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/chester-roman-amphitheatre/opening-times/

Birthday Parties

Offer Birthday Parties: No

Open any reasonable time during daylight hours.

Address: Little St. John Street, Chester CH1 1RE, UK

Post Code: CH1 1RE

Council: Cheshire West and Ch

County: Cheshire

Road Access: On Vicars Lane, beyond Newgate, Chester.
Bus Access: From surrounding areas.
Train Access: Chester 3⁄4 mile.
Bicycle Access: Find this site on The National Cycle Network.
Parking: There are several paid car parks in the city centre a short walk from the Amphitheatre.