Group Visits

Group visits to Silchester can be booked during the University of Reading's excavation season. For 2012 this is between 2 July to 12 August, excepting Fridays.

We are keen to encourage a wide range of visitors to the excavation and will do our best to cater for the individual needs of disabled visitors of all ages. Please refer to our and Accessibility pages.

Visiting the excavations

The excavations are open to the public six days per week during the season - the excavation site is closed to visitors on Fridays. Opening hours are 9:30 to 17:00. During those hours, casual visitors to the site will be offered a student tour to explain the excavation and what it reveals, wherever possible. There are no tours available between 1 and 2pm, but the Visitor Cabin remains open.

Group visits to the excavation can be booked in advance by completing our Group visit booking form.

Costs

We generally do not charge groups but donations are welcome on site.

Parking

There is a public car park nearby situated in Wall Lane. The barrier needs to be raised for coaches and taller minibuses. We can raise the barrier in advance of your arrival if you book a visit during the excavations.

Facilities for groups

The excavation site is in the middle of fields, with no mains electricity or drainage, so facilities are very limited, even for those living and working there. However, we do have portaloos and limited access to cold running water.

With over a hundred staff and students on site at any one time, and several thousand visitors in each six-week season, the portaloos are often in less-than-ideal condition! The water in the portaloo handbasins is for handwashing only and must not be drunk. You will need to ask for access to running water (which is suitable for drinking), as the taps are generally located in areas not accessible to the public.

There is also a portaloo in the visitor car park; this is not the University's responsibility.

Accessibility

Please refer to our Accessibility page.

Suitable Clothing

The site itself can be muddy. We recommend comfortable casual clothing. Heels should not be worn, as they increase the hazards at the excavation site and are unsuitable for exploring the walls. Open-toed sandals are also inadvisable. Trainers, wellingtons, or walking boots are ideal.

Visitors should bring raincoats, hats and suncream according to the weather. The town site is very exposed and there is no shelter at the excavation site, and little around the most accessible parts of the walls.

Weather

The Silchester site tends to experience extremes of weather, from intense heat to torrential rain and storms. In the event of wet or very windy weather, visits to the excavation site may have to be cancelled without prior notice. Heavy rain on the day of the visit, or even the day before, may result in the site being closed altogether. Strong winds present an additional hazard not only at the site, but also around the walls. Group leaders should check weather forecasts and phone the site mobile 07912 998970 for information and advice. Please check the Silchester Excavations Twitter feed for late breaking news.

Please note that there are no indoor facilities, and visitors will be outside at all times, even in the event of heavy rain.