About
Caister Roman Fort was built around AD 200 as a base for a unit of the Roman army and navy, one of the Saxon Shore forts guarding the coast. It stood on a small island at the mouth of an estuary where the Ant, Bure, Yare and Waveney met the sea, and with Burgh Castle opposite it protected shipping and the routes inland until the end of the 4th century. Excavations in the 1950s uncovered part of the defences and a building inside; brooches, beads and hairpins suggest families lived alongside a garrison of 500 to 1,000 men, who left over 10,000 oyster shells. Today you can trace flint wall and ditch sections and building foundations on a small green site among houses in Caister-on-Sea, managed by Great Yarmouth Borough Council with English Heritage. Dogs are welcome on leads, and reviewers note the site is popular with local dog walkers. Park in the lay-by in front of the entrance on Norwich Road.
Open in daylightFrom English Heritage's calendar
- Open any reasonable time in daylight
From English Heritage's published calendar, updated 1 October 2026, with dates up to 16 March 2027.
Opening times may change at short notice.
Open any reasonable time during daylight hours; free entry for everyone.
Managed by Great Yarmouth Borough Council in co-operation with English Heritage. No facilities on site; toilets, shops and cafes are in Caister-on-Sea.
Accessibility: mainly flat grass with short sets of steps in a couple of places, so wheelchair access is possible except in those areas.
Parking: lay-by off Norwich Road in front of the site.
Hero photograph: Michael Dibb. CC BY-SA 2.0. Resized and converted to WebP. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Roman_fort_at_Caister-on-Sea_(1)_-_geograph.org.uk_-_5185516.jpg
Dogs at the location: Allowed with restrictions. Pet dogs are welcome on leads at this open-access site.
Dog walks in the grounds: Allowed with restrictions. Dogs may be walked on leads around the monument; no admission or membership is needed.
Leads: On leads.
PricingFreeFree for all visitors
Free entry for everyone
Entry
Free for everyone
Pricing details
Free to everyone; open access site in daylight.
ParkingFree parkingFree for all visitors
No charge for anyone.
Parking details
Parking in the lay-by off Norwich Road just in front of the site; no charge is stated and reviewers describe it as free.
Driving arrival: the fort entrance on Norwich Road, about a quarter of a mile from the Caister bypass roundabout.
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