Roompot

Q34641546

Roompot: possible location of a Roman fort along the North Sea shore.

In 173, the Chauci, a tribe that lived in what is now called Groningen and Ostfriesland, and was well-known for its sea-faring qualities, attacked what is now called Flanders. The Romans were surprised - they had not expected an attack from across the sea - but the governor of Gallia Belgica, Didius Julianus, defeated them. The Roman government now responded by building several forts along the Dutch and Flemish coast.The presence of a fort at a place called De Roompot can be deduced from Roman roof tiles that have been found over here.

Comparing the site to other coastal forts, it is likely that the original fort was at some stage replaced by a heavily fortified castle, and we may assume that this happened in the fourth century.

This page was created in 2003; last modified on 11 October 2020.