Caesar’s Invasion of Britain

The first Roman invasion of Britain led by Julius Caesar landed near here 55 BC.

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.