South-east England’s Saxon Shore forts: Excavating the CA archives

Following on from last month’s column, here I continue my survey of the Saxon Shore forts of south-east England: a series of fortifications on both sides of the English Channel thatwere established in the late 3rd century AD to defend Britain against the incursions of Saxon raiders. In CA 433, I visited the four northerly sites – this month I complete the set with their five southerly counterparts. Rutupiae, Richborough, Kent Rutupiae is situated in Richborough, near Sandwich, originally positioned near a large natural harbour in the Wantsum Channel and the mouth of the River Stour, although the site is now 4km (2.5 miles) inland of the current coastline. It is part o