Remains of a large Roman amphitheatre has been recorded in various excavations, observations, evalautions and watching briefs.

Professor Frere's excavations in the 1950's first identified massive masonry, located by Pilbrow in 1868, as two successive theatres. Lying athwart built-up crossroads, remains are sighted frequently, but in fragments. By AD 90, alongside the slanting road retained by the surveyor's, an elliptical theatre probable already stood. A bank of earth and gravel carried tiered wooden seating, revetted by front and rear walls of tile-bonded flint. In the early third century AD, this amenity was replaced by a monumental classical theatre in conventional 'D' shape. It was built partly on massive vaulted masonry, covering a paved area (cavea) 2.7m wide, between its retaining walls. This gave access to banked seating facing the stage and orchestra. Findings recovered across an area measuring 71m by nearly 60m and the size of surviving foundations indicate a building dominating the city then as the Cathedral does now. Always too large for any but occassional use, it influenced the topography of Canterbury's later streets and was a later source of building material.

Jenkins, F., Jenkins Archive Material (Unpublished document). SKE30008.

Frere, S., 1951, Canterbury Excavations (18th Season) Easter 1951 (Monograph). SKE29989.

Frere, S., 1970, The Roman Theatre at Canterbury (Article in serial). SKE29760.

Tatton-Brown, T., 1977, 78-79 Castle Street, Canterbury (Article in serial). SKE30531.

Anon, 1977, Site Note Book No.1. (Small Sites) (Unpublished document). SKE30599.

Tatton-Brown, T., 1978, Other Recording Work in 'Researches and Discoveries in Kent' (Serial). SKE30644.

Tatton-Brown, T., 1982, Potins and Other Iron Age Coins from Canterbury (Article in serial). SKE30507.

Bennett, P., 1985, The Topography of Roman Canterbury: A Brief Re-assessment (Article in serial). SKE30641.

Bennett, P., 1989, No 25 Watling Street (Article in serial). SKE30643.

Houliston, M., Rady, J. & Bennett, P., 1990, No 5 St Margaret's Street (Article in serial). SKE29990.

Shand, G., 1998, No 38 St Margaret's Street (Article in serial). SKE30642.