Visit the Roman town

• Summer visiting times
• Open days
• School visits
• Accessibility
• Year-round access
• Getting to Silchester by car
• Parking
• Getting to Silchester by train
• Getting to Silchester by bike

The Department of Archaeology at the University of Reading excavates part of Insula IX of Silchester Roman Town for six weeks each summer (from 2 July to 12 August in 2012).

Visitors are welcome to visit the excavation site during the season. We are open every day except Friday between 9:30 am and 5 pm. 

Visitors may view the excavation from two raised walkways (with ramp access), and both display panels and student tours help visitors understand the archaeology and the history it reveals. Activity sheets are available for children, as well as the popular 'dig pit' and finds handling.

Group visits are welcomed, preferably by arrangement. Please read the Group Visits and School Visits pages for more information.

Open days

Saturday 21 July and Saturday 4 August 2012.

Each year we hold two free Open Days (at the end of the third and fifth weeks of excavation), which offer expert tours, talks, and demonstrations, and a range of children's activities, typically including tours, a mini excavation, dressing up, finds handling and planning. Admission and activities are free, and refreshments are on sale.

School visits

School visits can be booked during the summer excavations, and suitable activities can be offered at the site with sufficient notice - please see our School Visits page for more details.

Accessibility

We are keen to encourage a wide range of visitors to the excavations and will do our best to cater for the individual needs of disabled visitors of all ages. Find out more about accessibility

Year round access

The complete circuit of the Roman Town Walls and the amphitheatre of the Roman Town are open to visitors all year round. It is a mile and half walk along the Roman walls and the North Gates and South gates into the Roman Town are well worth a visit. The amphitheatre is located just outside the Roman Town, to the north-east. Although the seating does not survive, the atmosphere does!

Please note: Visits to the Roman Town are not the responsibility of the Department of Archaeology at Reading. The Roman Town is owned by Hampshire County Council under the care of English Heritage, and any queries about opening times and disabled access outside of the summer excavation period should be addressed directly to them. More information can be found on the English Heritage website.

Getting to Silchester by car

The Roman town at Silchester is situated between the M3 and M4 motorways, between Reading and Basingstoke. You can get detailed directions by entering the postcode of your starting direction on the Google Maps website. For sat nav users, the postcode is RG7 2HP.

Parking

There is a Public Car Park located just outside the town walls in Wall Lane and it is a short, 10 minute walk to the heart of the Roman Town from here. If you are bringing a coach, you will need to contact the farmer to raise the car park barrier. The number is on the gate.

See an OS map of Silchester Roman Town showing the position of the car park.

Getting to Silchester by train

The nearest train station to Silchester is Mortimer Station. The excavation is then a two mile walk or taxi journey from the station. There are regular trains (at least twice hourly) from Reading Station to Mortimer and the journey time is approximately 10-15mins. Due to the shifting nature of train times, it is advisable to check the timetables either by visiting the National Rail Enquiries website or calling them on 08457 48 49 50.

Getting to Silchester by bike

Silchester Roman Town is on Sustrans National Route 23 from Reading. This is a mostly on-road route, with a few parts being traffic-free. The route also passes close to Bramley railway station about 5km (3 miles) to the south of Silchester.