New gateway opens on spot where Romans first invaded Britain

A replica of the gateway that stood there 2,000 years ago has been built exactly above the site of the original

Richborough Roman fort and amphitheatre will reopen to the public on Wednesday after being closed for 18 months for renovations.

A newly-constructed 8m (26ft) gateway has been built on the same spot where the first Roman soldiers invaded Britain.

Paul Pattison from English Heritage described it as a "historic moment".

Richborough is a significant Roman site in Britain and often referred to as the "Gateway to Britannia".

Roman Richborough, or Rutupiae as it was known, was located on a small island in the Wantsum Channel, a stretch of sea that once separated Kent from Thanet.

As the main entry point to Britain from mainland Europe, Richborough transitioned from a military base to a civilian port town throughout the 360 years of Roman rule.

At the time of the invasion, Richborough was a small island which became the location of a large fortification

Roy Porter, properties curator at English Heritage, said Richborough would have been the centre of "bustling activity" when the Roman army arrived on Kent's shores.

"This will have been a defensive location for them. The gateway we're standing on is a reconstruction of a gateway that was constructed by those Roman legionaries right at the start of Roman Britain," he said.

The gateway has been built on the exact spot of one built for an original fortification in 43AD.

Mr Pattison, who is an English Heritage historian, said: "To be able to rebuild a structure as accurately as possible, and one that stands on the exact spot of the original at Richborough almost 2000 years ago, is remarkable".

The new gateway has been constructed in oak, using Roman-style dovetail, lap and scarf joints

A number of previously unseen artefacts will also go on display. English Heritage said these objects offer an "invaluable insight" into the people of Richborough.

Some of these include a 2000-year-old glass cup from the Middle East and a trader's weight in the shape of Harpocrates, the Greek god of silence - the only one of its kind in Britain.

Follow BBC South East on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail].