OLD ROMAN PORT.

Putaruru Press, Volume VII, Issue 286, 2 May 1929, Page 2

OLD ROMAN PORT.

TO BECOME COALING CENTRE. One of the most mysterious districts in England lies in East Kent near Sandwich. There is the old pert of Richborough or Rutupire, used nearly 2000 years ago by the Roman fleet. It is fiat country, with the exception of the mount on which stands Richborough Castle, where so many Roman relies have recently been discovered. It is the only one cf the forts of the Saxon Shore which which have been taken over by the Office of Works. The whole area is deserted now. There are still to be seen remains of huts ar.d other World War buildings. There are, however, indications that in che future Richborough will again become one of the important ports of Great Britain. More than three years ago the whole of the port, embracing 3000 acres, was purchased on behalf of Lord Cowdray, Sir Arthur Dorman, and others associated with a coal enterprise. Geologists estimate that within 30 miles of Richborough lie some of Britain’s richest coal fields of the future. Indeed, since the war a ne>w town has been built at Aylesham, inhabited by colliers going from Derbyshire, Yorkshire, Lancashire, and other coal areas to work at the new Snowdown colliery. It is confidently expected that in the future Richborough will be the port for Britain’s reviving steel industry, for, partly under the sea and partly under the land as far as Dover, hidedn away in beds of clay, are said to be at least 100,000,000 tons of iron ore. With caal near, the production of steel will be facilitated, and the ground has already been roughly surveyed with a view to the erection of blast furnaces and steel shops. Then, in barges starting from the t.'aill ferry berth erected during the war, the proceeds of the Kent steel industry are to be transported to un= Continent. Seme of the shrewdest of Britain’s industrialists are keenly interested in the plans of the revival of the Roman port of Richborough.