Alderney's Roman Fort, Alderney, United Kingdom

There are traces of Roman occupation including a fort, built in the late 300s AD, above the Alderneys only natural harbour. The Alderney Nunnery was probably located on the site of this one best preserved Roman forts in the British Isles.

The 26-foot tall Roman tower features 10-feet-thick walls. Built of stone and Roman concrete, many of the outer walls are still standing however only fragments remain of the tall tower that would have stood inside the walls, there is a similarity to Roman signal stations built in Yorkshire.

The British are believed to have refurbished the Roman fort in 1793, leveling off the tower walls in the process, according to Heritage Daily. When the German’s invaded the island it appears they inserted a Type 501 bunker neatly between the tower ruins, using the north and south internal walls effectively as shuttering to pour their concrete, according to Dr. Jason Monaghan, who is helping lead the excavation efforts.

The site is newly opened after a major make over. There are story boards, an information room, large WWII bunker and much, much more to explore on this amazing heritage site.

User Reviews

Sarah Bancroft (2 years ago)
Interesting free place to visit

SARAH BANCROFT (2 years ago)
Very interesting place. Alot of history. Free to visit. Very informative.

Bianca K (2 years ago)
Informative and good to look around. Excellent beach views and of France on a clear day. Roman Wall on the beach!

David Inglis (3 years ago)
Fascinating history lesson here makes you understand the location and why it's heritage is so important.

Emily Dove (3 years ago)
Spoke to the archaeological team doing a dig there who were really friendly and informative. Obviously they won't be there most of the time but good to see a range of histories presented plus an area of German fortification that is lighted so can explore without feeling too dark and closed in. Small exhibition with finds also.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Roman Moško

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History of the castle cliff dates back to the Roman Empire, what is proved by the inscription on the castle cliff proclaiming the victory of Roman legion against Germans in the year 179.

Today’s castle was probably built on the hill-fort. The first proven building on the hill was the Great Moravian rotunda from the 9th century and later there was a stone residential tower, which served to protect the Kingdom of Hungary and the western border. In the late 13th century the castle became a property of Palatine Matúš Csák, who became Mr. of Váh and Tatras.

Matúš Csák of Trenčín built a tower, still known as Matthew’s, which is a dominant determinant of the whole building.

Alderney's Roman Fort

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