Chester Roman Amphitheatre
Chester Roman Amphitheatre is the largest known Roman military amphitheatre in Britain. It stands just outside the city walls at Newgate, is free to visit and is open every day in daylight. About two-fifths of the oval has been uncovered; allow half an hour to walk round it and the Roman Gardens next door.
What you can see
You look down into the northern part of the oval: the curved stone wall that held up the seating, the entrances, and the sand floor of the arena, sunk more than a metre below the Roman ground level. The rest of the amphitheatre lies unexcavated under the buildings to the south, behind a brick wall. A path runs round the edge, and steps lead down into the arena itself.
Look for the small doorway inside the arena, to the left of the north entrance. It led to a shrine of Nemesis, the goddess believed to decide the fate of those who fought here. Most amphitheatres had such shrines outside the arena; at Chester it opened straight onto the sand.
A short history
The amphitheatre was built in the late 1st century AD, just outside the south-east corner of the new fortress. Its outer wall was 2.7 metres thick. Within a decade or so the seating was raised and the arena dug deeper, and later it was extended again with a new outer wall. With seating for somewhere between 7,000 and 12,000 people, it was big enough for most of the legion and a good part of the town. For the dates, size and finds in one place, see our 15 facts about the amphitheatre.
Its fortunes followed the garrison’s. English Heritage describes it as derelict by the 120s, around the time much of the Twentieth Legion went north to build Hadrian’s Wall. It was brought back into use around AD 275, with new paving and a refurbished Nemesis shrine, and abandoned around AD 350. In the Middle Ages its stone was quarried and houses were built over it, which is why so much of it was lost and why it lay forgotten for so long.
Found in 1929
The amphitheatre was rediscovered in 1929. Archaeologists uncovered most of its northern half between the 1930s and the 1960s, and between 2004 and 2006 a new excavation by Chester City Council and English Heritage overturned an old idea. It had long been thought that a wooden amphitheatre came first; the new dig showed that there had been two stone amphitheatres, one built over the other.
Finds from the excavations include a coin from the reign of Vespasian, the hilt of a gladius, the legionary’s short sword, and fine red Samian pottery decorated with hunting and battle scenes. Many finds from Roman Chester are in the Grosvenor Museum.
Shows, training and parades
An amphitheatre beside a fortress did more than stage entertainment. It was a parade ground, a place to drill and train recruits, and a place to assemble the legion. The shows themselves may have included gladiators and animal fights; the evidence at Chester suggests them without proving them. Either way, the people in these seats were mostly soldiers, their families and the townspeople who made a living from them.
Make a morning of it
The Roman Gardens run from the amphitheatre down towards the river, and the footings of the fortress’s south-east angle tower are beside Newgate, a few steps away. Climb onto the walls at Newgate to see the amphitheatre from above, then follow them north to the Roman stretch of wall near Northgate. Our free self-guided walk links them all.
Questions people ask
Is Chester Roman Amphitheatre free?
Yes. It is free to visit and open every day of the year in daylight hours. You don't need a ticket or to book.
Where is Chester Roman Amphitheatre?
On Little St John Street, Chester CH1 1RE, just outside the city walls at Newgate and about five minutes' walk from the Eastgate clock. The Roman Gardens are next door.
Where can I park for the amphitheatre?
The Pepper Street multi-storey car park is the nearest, a couple of minutes' walk away. Chester also has park-and-ride sites, and the amphitheatre is around 15 minutes' walk from the railway station.
How old is Chester's amphitheatre?
The first stone amphitheatre was built in the late 1st century AD, soon after the fortress was founded, so it is more than 1,900 years old. It was enlarged soon afterwards and used, on and off, until about AD 350.
How many people did the amphitheatre hold?
Nobody knows exactly. Estimates range from about 7,000 to 12,000, depending on the source and on which phase of the building is meant; the seating was enlarged after it was first built.
Is Chester's the largest Roman amphitheatre in Britain?
It is the largest known military amphitheatre in Britain, and it is usually described as the largest Roman amphitheatre yet found in the country.
Does Chester have a Colosseum?
Not by that name, but this is the same kind of building. When people search for Chester's coliseum they mean this amphitheatre: Rome's Colosseum is an amphitheatre too, though far larger.
What was the amphitheatre used for?
Shows for the garrison and townspeople, which may have included gladiators and animal fights, and training and parades for the legion. A small shrine to Nemesis, the goddess of fate, opened off the arena.
When was Chester Roman Amphitheatre discovered?
In 1929. Most of the northern half was excavated between the 1930s and the 1960s, and a major dig in 2004 to 2006 changed what we know about how it was built.
Are there events at the amphitheatre?
Sometimes: re-enactments, Roman soldier tours and occasional performances use it, especially in summer. See our Roman events page for what is confirmed this year.
Did London have a Roman amphitheatre too?
Yes. The remains of London's amphitheatre are on show beneath the Guildhall Art Gallery in the City of London. Chester's is the largest known military amphitheatre in Britain.
Facts and visitor details checked 26 October 2026. Opening times and prices change, so check with the venue before you travel. Sources: English Heritage, Chester Roman Amphitheatre; English Heritage, history of the amphitheatre; Wikipedia, Chester Roman Amphitheatre.