Cirencester Amphitheatre
Roman amphitheatre in Gloucestershire, England From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cirencester Amphitheatre was a Roman amphitheatre in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England.[1] Its remains are scheduled as an ancient monument.[2]
Archaeological digs have uncovered the earthworks, revealing the outline of the construction, which is still visible, with the banking reaching 25 feet from the bottom of the arena.[1] The arena itself is approximately 150 feet (46 m) by 135 feet (41 m).[3] Roman artefacts including coins and pottery have been discovered on the site.[4] It is estimated that it was constructed towards the beginning of the 2nd century.[1]
In Roman Britain, Cirencester was known as Corinium Dobunnorum, and was the second biggest town in Britannia, after Londinium (London).[1] This amphitheatre is also the second largest, which indicates the significance of the location in Roman times.[1] Although only slightly larger in diameter than the amphitheatre in Silchester, it has much higher sides.[5] The earthworks show evidence of tiered wooden seats for around 8000 people,[6] placed upon terraces made of stone,[1] although a timber-only structure may have existed before the 2nd century.[7] There are two entrances, at the north-east and south-west ends of the stadium.[1]
During the 5th century, when the Western Roman Empire was under attack and soldiers returned to Rome to defend it, the amphitheatre was fortified to defend against the invading Saxons.[1][8] Wooden structures were erected within the arena, placed in postholes, and the north-east entrance was partly blocked.[4][9]
Unlike other amphitheatres, it is aligned in parallel to the streets of the town.[10]
It has also been referred to as the 'Bull Ring', because the sport of bull-baiting used to take place there.[11]
In 2012, plans were announced by the Cirencester Town Council to improve access and signage at the site.[12] Further plans for a visitor centre and car park followed in 2014.[13]
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