Walmer in Kent, England, United Kingdom — Northwestern Europe (the British Isles)
Caesar’s Invasion of Britain
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Exploration • Military • Notable Events • Notable Places.
Location. 51° 12.668′ N, 1° 24.175′ E. Marker is in Walmer, England, in Kent. Marker can be reached from The Beach north of Cambridge Road. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Walmer, England CT14 7, United Kingdom. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 11 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Deal Castle (approx. one kilometer away); Martin Mill (approx. 5.9 kilometers away); East Langdon (approx. 6.8 kilometers away); Blériot’s 1909 Landing Site (approx. 10.4 kilometers away); Louis Blériot 1909 (approx. 10.4 kilometers away); Dover’s defences (approx. 10.7 kilometers away); Arthur’s Hall (approx. 10.7 kilometers away); Buildings of Dover Castle (approx. 10.7 kilometers away).
More about this marker. While it’s not clear when the marker was erected, it surely commemorates one of the most ancient historical events in this database.
Regarding Caesar’s Invasion of Britain. Having conquered Gaul (France), Julius Caesar decided to take two legions of Roman soldiers (about 10,000 men) on an exploratory expedition to Britain in August, 55 BC. As his fleet came up to the now-famous white cliffs of Dover, Caesar looked for a more favorable landing spot. He sailed “seven miles” along the coast and found an “open and flat shore.” The exact location has long been disputed among historians, nautical experts, and local residents, but in 2008 a research team from Texas State University led by Donald W. Olson used Caesar’s description of tidal currents and the phase of the Moon to conclude that this spot near the modern coastal towns of Walmer and Deal is, in fact, the most likely place.
High-school students usually read Caesar’s own account of the invasion in their second-year Latin classes.
Also see . . . Recent study. Download a PDF from Texas State University. (Submitted on November 15, 2009, by Roger W. Sinnott of Chelmsford, Massachusetts.)
Credits. This page was last revised on January 27, 2022. It was originally submitted on November 15, 2009, by Roger W. Sinnott of Chelmsford, Massachusetts. This page has been viewed 1,562 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 15, 2009, by Roger W. Sinnott of Chelmsford, Massachusetts. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page.