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...

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Nearby Memorials

Priory Church

Priory Church

EC1, Charterhouse Square

Lines laid out in the grass can just be seen in our photo. They indicate what is now thought to be the site of the original Priory Church...

1 subject commemorated
Priory of the Order of St John of Jerusalem

Priory of the Order of St John of Jerusalem

EC1, St John's Square

These cobbles mark out the site of the original circular church of the medieval Priory of the Order of St John of Jerusalem. The Priory o...

1 subject commemorated
St Paul's medieval footprint

St Paul's medieval footprint

EC4, St Paul's Churchyard

The modern information board reads: These gardens are laid out as the footprint of the Chapter House and Cloister of the Medieval Cathedr...

2 subjects commemorated
St Mary Matfelon

St Mary Matfelon

E1, Altab Ali Park, Whitechapel Road

Our picture comes from Google satellite view and shows, better than can be seen at ground level, the (partial) outlines of the two church...

13 subjects commemorated
St Mary’s church, Greenwich

St Mary’s church, Greenwich

SE10, King William Walk, St Mary's Gate into Greenwich Park

The excellent Greenwich Phantom tells us that the footprint of the old church is shown "by a beech hedge, some of the foundation stones m...

1 subject commemorated