Roman Thorney
Thorney Island in Roman Times
The Romans first visited Britain in 55BC when Julius Ceasar had ventured north of Gaul.
A variety of Roman pottery fragments were found during the excavations for the airbase in the 1930’s. One piece is from a large pot or urn, the insides being pinched smooth by the potter, whose finger prints can still be seen today. Even a humble potter can leave his mark in history!
Another collection of red glazed fragments date from 120AD and must have been imported from Satte, near present day Metz in Northern France. This shows that Roman trade routes were well established during their tenure of Britain between 44BC to 350AD. Nearby is the Roman town of Regnum (present day Chichester) with its characteristic cross-road at the centre, and nearer still the Roman Palace of Fishbourne, with its fine mosaics, now on wonky floors.
One can imagine Thorney Island as a peninsular (as it is today) guarding the channel into Regnum and the Roman Palace. The church tower of St Nicholas offers a view of the harbour entrance, so may have been the site of an early defensive outpost to Regnum, its palace at Fishbourne and Stane Street, the Roman road along the coast and up to Londinium (present day London). Roman authority was later to be eroded by new invaders, the Saxons.
