Ghost building

Roman amphitheatre

Roman amphitheatre

Our picture comes courtesy of Google Satellite view. A visit to the Guildhall Art Gallery includes access to the remains of the amphitheatre. It was discovered when the new Art Gallery was being built in 1987 and, being recognised as an Ancient Monument, it was legally protected. This delayed the work on the Art Gallery until 1993. The building was redesigned to incorporate the remains but ingeniously they are effectively suspended inside the basement with two further basements below.

Only discovered in 1987 but the space the amphitheatre occupied had remained an open space for centuries.   Psychogeography gets a bad press nowadays but this could be a real instance of a place having a “memory”.

Site: Guildhall - Roman amphitheatre, plaque, 2 benches (4 memorials)

EC2, Guildhall Yard

Our picture shows the north-east corner of the Yard. The cyclist is in front of the two benches. The plaque is carved on the panel on the building to the left of the benches. You can just see the Whittington statue in the square opening to the right. All the ground in the Yard used to be part of the Roman amphitheatre which is marked with an oval of black stones, not visible in our picture but view this location in Google Maps satellite view and you see it clearly - some people probably claim that it's visible from the moon.

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This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Roman amphitheatre

Subjects commemorated i

This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Roman amphitheatre

Also at this site i

Bench - Mayoralty

Bench - Mayoralty

Along the front edge of the bench 10 sets of deviders are carved and along th...

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Bench - United Wards Club

Bench - United Wards Club

{On a bronze plaque embedded in the seat, around a crest:} The United Wards ...

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Guildhall - restored

Guildhall - restored

This east wing of the south front of the Guildhall was restored in 1910 accor...

Read More

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