Caister was a larger fort than usual, possibly because it had a mixed garrison of infantry, cavalry and sailors. When built around AD 200, it would have included headquarters, barracks, granaries, workshops, stores and stables.
Building 1 as it was called by the excavators, was completed around AD 300 on the site of earlier wooden buildings, and burnt down after AD 340 for reasons unknown. Its original purpose is also unknown, but it was a single-storey divided into at least seven rooms. There was a courtyard to the north and a cobbled alley to the south. In its short life it had many functions, some comfortable and domestic, others more businesslike, including a workshop and a butcher’s shop.
It had low flint wall footings, timber-framed walls and a tiled roof. In one room are the pillars of a heating system, forming channels along which warm air circulated under a concrete floor. Other evidence for comfortable living is provided by fragments of plaster from the inside walls, painted with elaborate designs.
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The text and pictures on this page are derived from the 'Heritage Unlocked' series of guidebooks published in 2004. We intend to review, update and enhance the content in the near future as part of the Portico project, whose objective is to provide information on the history, significance, research background and sources for all English Heritage properties.
