Richborough

  • Richborough is a village near Sandwich in Kent in the South East Region of England.
  • It is the location for one of the Saxon Shore Forts called Rutupiae, founded in c. 43 CE, which was the official entry point into Roman Britannia from Gaul.

Roman Sites

  • Richborough Roman Fort
    • Roman Amphitheatre and Fortress Walls
    • The site is managed by English Heritage.
    • It is one of the Saxon Shore Forts were a chain of Roman Naval Forts in southeastern England that stretched from Portchester to the Wash, whose function was to defend the River estuaries and coastline from Pirate attacks by seaborne invaders.

Notitia Dignitatum (c.400 CE)

  • Richborough is described as the Official Point of Entry to and from Gaul
    • The Notitia Dignitatum states that Richborough (Rutupiae) was the official point of entry into Britannia from Boulogne (Gesoriacum), and that the distance was 450 stades or 56 Roman miles.
    • Entry was through a Triumphal Arch inside the Fortress, and then up to London via Watling Street (the modern A2).
    • To get to Richborough, a ferry was taken across the ‘Fretum Gallicum’, the Straits of Dover, from the Fortress of Boulogne in Gaul.

Antonine Itinerary

  • Richborough was the entry point into Britannia, from Boulogne the port of crossing, as stated in the ‘Iter Britanniarum’ of the Antonine Itinerary.
  • ITER BRITANNIARUM

    a Gessoriaco de Gallis

    From Boulogne, of the Gauls

    Ritupis in portu Britanniarum

    to Richborough of the Britains

    stadia numero ccccl

    450 Stades (56.25 Roman miles)

Roman Roads

Antonine Itinerary (c.160 CE)

Via Belgica

Richborough

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