Discovered: Britain's very own Colosseum
 
Third-century fans flocked to watch gladiators fight in Chester's bloody arena 
By David Keys, Archaeology Correspondent 
Published: 04 February 2007 

Archaeologists have discovered that what had been thought to be a relatively
small, down-market amphitheatre in Britain was in fact a top-of-the-range,
though admittedly more intimate, version of Rome's famous gladiatorial arena. 

Indeed, this British Colosseum - in Chester - may well have been built as a
replica of the one in Rome, possibly on the orders of the Roman Emperor
Septimius Severus, who was in Britain at the time.

http://news.independent.co.uk:80/uk/this_britain/article2214843.ece