The Saxon Shore: A View from the Other Side

On Monday 7th February, Sophie Vanhooute of the State Archaeological Service for Flanders visited the University of Kent to give a talk on her excavations at the Roman ‘Saxon Shore’ fort at Oudenburg.

The fort now lies a few kilometres inland from Ostend but was at the head of a lagoon in Roman times. The site was occupied in the mid-Roman period and was then developed with the construction of a series of large forts equivalent to the great ‘Saxon Shore’ forts at Reculver, Richborough, Lympne and Portchester. There are associated civilian settlements outside the fort and important Roman cemetery remains. The current excavations have taken place over several years and are now coming to an end. They have yielded much new information, allowing the conventional phasing of the development of the fort to be reassessed. Environmental evidence was exceptionally well-preserved, including wells with spectacular timber construction.

An audience of 80, including many KAS members, enjoyed the talk, which was followed by a reception hosted by the University’s Darwin College. Other lectures, seminars and conferences are planned by the University to encourage the complementary study of archaeology on both sides of the Channel. Details will appear in future Newsletters.

Sophie Vanhooute and Steve Willis display a poster of the Oudenburg excavations.