ON THE BEACH AT WALMER AND DEAL
2017 Please note there have been changes in thought about the actual landing site. It may have been Pegwell Bay
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5125295/Landing-site-Julius-Caesars-invasion-Britain-found.html
Just like the Romans - the locals (2)
still haul their boats up on the beach at Walmer and Deal except the sailors
nowadays have power winches. Imagine though, in
54BC, Caesar and his 750+ cargo boats and ships at anchor or hauled up on the beach. They ask why
Caesar landed here instead on Richborough - well that may be the answer
- from Kingsdown through Walmer to Deal is a large area of beach.
Claudius in 43AD chose to land further north at
Richborough
where there was more sheltered mooring for his vast flotilla - a
site which could be defended more easily. The skull (7) is from an iron age priest or king dated 200-150BC from a burial found in the Mill Hill cemetery at Deal; one of the Cantiaci, he had his iron sword, bronze scabbard and shield with him. His crown or headdress is decorated in the La Tène style. |
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Legend: 1 Caesar
commemorative plinth on
seafront, 2 Deal fishing boat, 3 the wide beach looking toward Deal, 4 pebble
beach, steep shelf, 5 boats, 6 looking towards cliffs at Kingsdown, 7
skull found at Mill Hill Cemetery, Deal, 8 see how close Gaul really is! Click any thumbnail for a LARGER, better image |