Coastline Special: Romans by the sea

Coastline Special: Romans by the sea

June 11, 2026 · 31 min

About this episode

This episode explores the Roman influence on the English coastline, particularly their fondness for oysters and cultural impact.

Did you know that Roman emperors had a weakness for English oysters? The Romans arrived in Britain around 43AD and one of their first settlements was at Richborough in Kent, where they found oysters so good they sent them back home. In the first of our special series on the English coastline, we go back to Roman times. It wasn’t just a military invasion, it was an influx of culture and people from across three continents. It shaped our country and our shores. Today English heritage experts Dr Andrew Roberts and Dr Kathryn Bedford reveal more about what the Romans actually did for us. Now you can watch our coastal series as well as listen to it - either on Spotify or go to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/EnglishHeritage Don’t forget to follow this podcast wherever you get your podcasts and leave a review if you love the show. Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠ Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.* Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠ The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in…

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