Roman amphitheatre, Guildhall Yard

Beneath the paved plaza of Guildhall Yard in the City of London lie the exposed remains of the city’s first Roman amphitheatre. Built in AD 70 from timber, it was rebuilt a century later with stone walls and tiled entrances. After the Romans left in the early 5th century the structure fell into ruin and stayed buried for centuries. Excavations in 1988 uncovered the elliptical arena and parts of the seating terraces. The amphitheatre once hosted gladiator contests, animal fights and public executions, as well as religious gatherings. By the 12th century the first London Guildhall stood beside it, surviving fires and bombing raids to frame the modern courtyard. Visitors enter the basement of the Guildhall Art Gallery to see a section of the stone seating and arena floor still in place. A dark stone band on the plaza above traces the amphitheatre’s outline at ground level. The 13th-century gatehouse that once marked the southern entrance still stands nearby, and the church of St Lawrence Jewry leans slightly to follow the amphitheatre’s curve.