Unlike the majority of major Roman towns in southern Britain, Calleva Atrebatum did not re-emerge as a town in the medieval period.
Rome lost control of Britain at the beginning of the fifth century AD, when evidence suggests that Silchester was still a flourishing town. It is likely that it was abandoned sometime between AD 550 and 650.
The Domesday Book (1086) lists a village known as Silcestre. The only surviving physical evidence of medieval Silchester, however, is the 12th-century church of St Mary, located close to the east gate. Archaeological evidence suggests that the medieval village lay between the amphitheatre and the south gate. This village would appear to have been deserted around 1400, perhaps as a consequence of the Black Death.
The present village was founded to the west of the Roman town, where the earliest houses date from the 17th and 18th centuries.
An ogham stone was discovered during excavations at Silchester in 1893. The inscription is in Ogham writing, which developed in southern Ireland in about AD 400. This is our only evidence of early medieval activity at Silchester.
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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.
