Caister Roman Fort

Caister Roman Fort, known as Gariannonum, is the site of a Roman coastal fort built around 200 AD to defend against Saxon pirates. Today, you can see the substantial remains of the fort's walls, which still stand up to 2 metres high in places, making them among the most impressive surviving Roman fortifications in Britain. The fort once housed a cavalry unit and formed part of the extensive Roman military network protecting the east coast of Britain.

The ruins are set in open countryside just outside Caister-on-Sea and are accessible to the public free of charge. The site is managed as an archaeological monument and gives a clear sense of the fort's original defensive layout. There is an information board on site explaining the history and what the fort would have been like during the Roman period. A visit typically takes 30 minutes to an hour, and the site is particularly rewarding for visitors interested in Roman history and archaeology. The fort's position, originally on the coast before medieval coastal changes, tells the story of how the Norfolk shoreline has shifted dramatically over the centuries.