Roman Fishbourne

The Roman supply base, palace, and the evidence for early occupation

The Roman presence at Fishbourne predates the famous palace by several decades. Archaeological evidence shows that a military supply base was established here very shortly after the Roman invasion of AD 43, exploiting the harbour as a landing point for troops and supplies. The harbour at Fishbourne would have been deeper and more navigable in the Roman period than it is today, making it a practical anchorage for the shallow-draught vessels of the Roman military fleet.

The supply base developed into a more permanent settlement over the following decades. By the AD 60s, a substantial stone building had been erected on the site, probably the residence of a local official or client ruler. This was replaced around AD 75 by the great palace that is the principal attraction today, a building that in its scale and sophistication had no parallel in Roman Britain.

The palace's owner is traditionally identified as Tiberius Claudius Cogidubnus, a local British ruler who collaborated with the Roman administration and was rewarded with Roman citizenship, a grand title, and, it seems, a grand residence. The identification is not certain, as the literary and epigraphic evidence is limited, but the palace's date and location fit the known history of Cogidubnus well.

The palace was destroyed by fire around AD 270, and the site was not rebuilt. The Roman settlement at Fishbourne contracted, and the harbour's importance declined as the Roman period ended. The site was gradually covered by soil and farming, and it remained hidden until the accidental discovery in 1960.

The archaeological finds from Fishbourne are among the most important in Britain, demonstrating the speed with which Roman culture, technology, and architecture were adopted in the newly conquered province.