Silchester Roman Town and Mortimer West End

A Walk Round the Well Preserved Remains of a Roman Town

There was a considerable settlement at Silchester before the Romans came. Eppillus, a tribal chief of the Atrebates, settled here in the first century AD, and traces of his town can be seen on this walk. The Roman name for the town, Calleva Atrebatum, means 'woody place of the Atrebates'. The Romans came later in the century, but the walls visible today date from AD 260–280, completely encircling the 100-acre site.

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Start Point

St Mary's Church

Grid Ref: SU 64362 62337

Total Distance

4.2 miles (6.8 km)

Total Climbing

78 metres

Estimated Time

2 hours

Difficulty Grade

Easy

Trail Navigation Files:

💾 Download GPX Route Google Earth (KMZ) 📖 About Calleva Atrebatum

Ordnance Survey Explorer Map (1:25,000)

Essential paper map for exploring Reading, Wokingham and Pangbourne:

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The Walk Report

The walk starts by the 12th-century Church of St Mary the Virgin, built just inside the Roman wall. The route follows The Drove through the middle of the Roman town, past Roman roads, pine plantations, Kiln Pond, and the welcoming Red Lion pub in Mortimer West End.

Returning via Manor Farm, you pass the open amphitheatre (enclosed by high banks with wooden seats once sufficient for about 4,000 people) and a well-preserved section of the Roman wall, including the sole survivor of the town's four gates.

Acknowledgment: Text derived from the Out and Out Series; Discovering the Countryside on Foot. Pictures courtesy of Wikipedia.

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Silchester Roman Town and Mortimer West End

Ordnance Survey Explorer Map (1:25,000)

The Walk Report

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