Roman Amphitheatre Site, London

What you are seeing is the surviving footprint of a Roman amphitheatre beneath Guildhall Yard, with excavated masonry presented inside the Guildhall Art Gallery complex. The site came to light in 1988, and a dark-stone band set into the plaza traces its oval perimeter. Construction began in AD 70 with timber, before an early 2nd-century rebuilding added tiled entrances and walls made from rag stone.

This was a venue for gladiatorial contests, animal fights, public executions and religious gatherings, serving both London’s residents and its soldiers. After Roman rule ended in the early 5th century, the structure stood unused for centuries. The gallery’s basement lets you encounter part of the remains in situ, while the open yard preserves their shape at ground level.