Silchester Travel Guide

  Walls..........................
by leics
 
  • Walls..........................
      Walls..........................
    by leics
  • Amphitheatre
      Amphitheatre
    by leics
  • Roman bricks in the church wall
      Roman bricks in the church wall
    by leics
  • Roman remains in church wall
      Roman remains in church wall
    by leics
  • And more..................
      And more..................
    by leics
 

Explore Silchester

Things to Do  

A decent country pub.

A decent country pub., Silchester

 planxty Says:  If you're a bit tired and thirsty after a day tramping round the ruins of the Roman town, and feel in need of some refreshment, you oculd do a lot worse than pop into the Calleva Arms, a wonderful country pub facing the village green right in the middle of the village. I... 

A wonderful historic Church.

A wonderful historic Church., Silchester

 planxty Says:  Actually within the old Roman Town walls of Calleva Atrebatum (modern day Silchester) lies the wonderful old Church of St. Mary the Virgin. The first thing that surprised (and delighted) me wa that, although no-one was about, the Church was actually open. I know this might... 

Apparently the best in England.

Apparently the best in England., Silchester

 planxty Says:  I am not sure how truthful the title of this tip is, but I did read that the Roman town walls at Silchester are the best preserved example in England. They are certainly impressive, although the town that they enclosed is long gone (see photo 4). To walk round the 2.8... 

Visit the church................

Visit the church................, Silchester

 leics Says:  The church of St Mary the Virgin is built within the Roman walls of Calleva Atrebatum, and its walls are constructed partly from Roman brick and tile. The present building dates from the mid thirteenth century, but it is probable that there was another, earlier church on the... 

The amphitheatre.....

The amphitheatre....., Silchester

 leics Says:  ...............was built around 50 AD, not long after the Roman town was built. The ground level was lowered, and the earth removed was used to form the seating bank. It is remarkably large, there is an excellent view from the banks, and sound carries very clearly; one can... 

Visit Calleva Atrebatum.........

Visit Calleva Atrebatum........., Silchester

 leics Says:  .............the Roman town, named for 'the town in the woods of the Atrebates' the local Iron Age tribe). Although the town within is covered in pasture (many of its treasures in Reading museum, although much remains to be excavated) the walls still stand, and create an... 

Look for the gates..............

Look for the gates.............., Silchester

 leics Says:  Both the north gate and the south gate of the Roman town were once impressive structures, with archways and (eventually, it is thought) battlements. Imagine how an Iron Age peasant might feel walking through such a gateway for the first time; the awe he or she must have felt... 

The War Memorial

The War Memorial, Silchester

 KennetRose Says:  Every English village has its memorial to the local dead of two 20th century wars, usually a rather clichéed cross. But this simple stone seems more impressive and more moving than most. 

Calleva Atrebatum - Roman town

Calleva Atrebatum - Roman town, Silchester

 KennetRose Says:  Unlike other Roman towns, Calleva was not built on after the Romans left, so the site is intact. That said, it has been put to the plough over many centuries. You can walk round the town walls, however, and inspect the amphitheatre, both of which demonstrate what a big and... 

Restaurants  

The Calleva Arms: Lovely traditional pub on village green
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1.5 out of 5 starsHelpfulness

KennetRose 481 reviews
The Calleva Arms

Locals' village pub on village green - the kind of scene that is traditionally English more in the breach than the observance. It hasn't yet fallen victim to the marketing people and long may that remain the case.

Excellent Gales Ales from Portsmouth.

Attractive menu of hot and cold food on offer.

Traditional games - backgammon when I was there - played. Also cricket on the green in season.

Favorite Dish: Gales HSB (Horndean Special Bitter)

Updated Oct 25, 2002

Address: Silchester, Hampshire

Phone: 0 118 970 0305

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Nightlife  

The Calleva Arms: Pub games
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KennetRose 481 reviews

Pub games - by which I mean those that don't demand an endless diet of coins in the slot and especially not the ubiquitous pool table - are a sure sign of a good and lively pub, and the Calleva Arms is a good example. This guy seemed surprised but pleased that I wanted to picture him playing backgammon.

Written Oct 7, 2002

Address: The Calleva Arms

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Transportation  

Better plan ahead.
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planxty 1603 reviews

Public transport to Silchester is, to say the least, a bit sketchy, and it pays to plan ahead or else you could face a long wait, or even no bus at all. I had travelled to Reading by train and caught the 143 bus. Even on a weekday this service only runs seven buses a day which call at the village. Alternatively the 44A runs from Basingstoke. Be aware that the last bus runs before 1800.

Travel time from Reading was about 45 minutes and the fare (from memory) about three pounds.

Written Jul 8, 2007

Phone: +oo 44 (0)118 9594000

Website: http://www.reading-buses.co.uk/

Related to:
 Road Trip

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Off The Beaten Path  

Medieval wall-paintings

Medieval wall-paintings, Silchester

 leics Says:  Inside the church of St Mary the Virgin (which is open during the day) there are some lovely wall-paintings. Amazingly, these date from around 1230; in Medieval times all churches were beautifully decorated inside. It is unusual to see so much remaining, as such paiintings... 

Roman remains...........

Roman remains..........., Silchester

 leics Says:  The walls of the Roman town are obvious, but if you look closely at the church (especially on the south side) you can see lots of Roman brick and tile which was used to build it. There's a Roman pillar and its base in the churchyard too; you'll pass it if you walk round the... 

Favorites  

Digging into History
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2 out of 5 starsHelpfulness

KennetRose 481 reviews
Part of the walls, Calleva

Favorite thing: There's a lot still to be discovered about Calleva Atrebatum, and it's one of the UK's most important archaeological sites. More information can be found at the website of Reading University Department of Archaeology

http://www.silchester.rdg.ac.uk/

I'm sure that suitably-qualified volunteer diggers would always be welcome.

Written Feb 25, 2003

Related to:
 Study Abroad

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Map of Silchester