Newbury and Silchester
his was a full day's excursion, leaving Birmingham's city centre at 9 a.m. and stopping first at Newbury. The coach parked between the Kennet and Avon canal, the museum and a tea room so that the various interests of the party were catered for! There was time to look for some of the old buildings and visit the museum, which is situated in the Ancient Cloth Hall. The fine weather tempted those interested in inland waterways and their history to study the restored and busy canal.
On arrival at Silchester we first visited the church of Saint Mary the Virgin, which is basically a 12th century building and is on the site of the main Roman temples. The fine screen with its rose and pomegranate motifs dates from the time of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon and escaped damage during the Reformation by being removed and hidden.
We then walked around the defensive walls of the Roman town, which are very impressive, still forming a complete circuit of 1½ miles and standing to a height of 12 feet or more in many places. They date from 260-280 AD, replacing an earlier gravel and clay rampart. From the walls we could see substantial Iron Age earthworks to the west of the town, and the excavations in the 1980s found Iron Age levels beneath the Basilica. No buildings are now visible above ground within the walls, but those walking along the top of the walls could see cropmarks in the western part of the town.
Before returning to the coach we had time to look at the remains of the ampitheatre.
Jill Crees