Rutupiæ
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  Map sources for Rutupiæ at grid reference TR3361
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Rutupiæ was the Roman name for Richborough near Sandwich, Kent, which they founded when they landed here in AD 34. It has many phases of Roman remains, collectively known as Richborough Fort, still visible today and under the care of English Heritage.
The Roman road of Watling Street begins at Richborough, running on to Canterbury and London. It was, for a time, the gateway to the Roman colony of Britannia.
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[edit] Invasion of A.D. 43
- Roman conquest of Britain#Aulus Plautius: A.D. 43 - Landing to Thames battle
- Site of the Claudian invasion of Britain
[edit] Legionary fort
When they first arrived, the Romans dug ditches and erected fortifications to protect the area where they had landed.
[edit] Civilian town and mansio
By the late third century Richborough had become a large Roman town, as the occupation of Britain had proceeded and the need for a military presence had diminished. There were temples and an amphitheatre (visible as a hummock in the grass 5 minutes walk from the main site). The presence of an amphitheatre is telling, as only important towns had this feature.
The Mansio was a building that went through several phases, being a hotel for visiting officials, bath house and administration building.
As a port, the town always competed with Portus Dubris (modern Dover), about 15 miles south along the coast. However, Richborough was widely regarded throughout the Roman Empire for the quality of its oysters.
[edit] Triumphal arch
A major quadrifrons triumphal arch commemorating the invasion, was erected straddling Watling Street, the main road from Richborough to London. Almost 25 metres high, it had a facade of high quality, Italian granite. It was dismantled during the final phase of the Roman occupation of Britain, when Richborough became a military town again, guarding against repeatedly more aggressive Saxon invasions. The foundations and mound are all the only visible remains of the magnificent arch.. The arch stood between the port and the province. Passage through the arch signified formal entry into Britannia (cf the similarly maritime arch at Ancona).
[edit] Saxon Shore Fort
The Saxon Shore Forts were a series of forts built by the Romans a little after 270, along the Channel on the English and French sides, to guard against invading Saxon pirates. The walls stand to a great height and were of such high quality, that they only recently needed repointing.
[edit] Roman withdrawal
During the decline of the Roman Empire, Richborough was eventually abandoned by the Romans and after this, the site was occupied by a Saxon religious settlement.
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