In 54 B.C. Julius Caesar wrote an account of leading a force of 20,000 soldiers and 2,000 cavalry to the coast of Britain with the use of 800 ships. According to archaeologist Andrew Fitzpatrick, “The presence of cliffs, the existence of a large open bay, and the presence of higher ground nearby are consistent with the 54 B.C. landing having been in Pegwell Bay.” Pegwell Bay would have made an appropriate landing site for such a large force. Caesar’s landing force would have required more than a kilometer of beach to accommodate its size.

Caesar wrote an account of leading a force of 20,000 soldiers and 2,000 cavalry to the coast of Britain

According to Caesar’s account, his fleet was left at anchor at an even and open shore, but the ships sustained damage due to the combination of high tide and a storm. They had no choice but to draw the ships up onto the beach, where thousands of craftsmen could repair the damage.

Near Pegwell Bay, by the hamlet of Ebbsfleet, archaeologists have discovered a defensive ditch for a large fort, pottery, as well as iron weapons including a Roman javelin. They also found skeletal remains of men showing trauma consistent with injuries resulting from battle. The University of Leicester said that the shape of the ditch is similar to defensive fortifications found France, where Caesar previously conquered the Gauls. This fort was thought to have been used to protect Caesar’s ships at Pegwell Bay.

Professor Colin Haselgrove stated that “This was the beginning of there permanent Roman occupation of Britain, which included Wales and some of Scotland and lasted for almost 400 years.”

I have used similar archaeological evidence as a foundation for my fictional writing. If you are interested in ancient and medieval cultures, as well as dark historical fantasy, check out my Tales of Malstria series.

For more information about the archaeological evidence found near Pegwell Bay, take a look at this article from The Guardian.