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Watch: How the Romans changed Britain

When the Romans arrived in AD43, they introduced new ideas and new ways of living to Britain.

From stinging nettles to sewers - find out how the Romans changed Britain

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What happened when the Romans left?

By AD410 the city of Rome was under attack and the empire was falling apart. So the Romans had to leave Britain to help back home.

A roman soldier looks on.

After they left, many of the Roman towns in Britain crumbled away as people went back to living in the countryside.

But even after they were gone, the Romans left their mark all over the country.

  • They gave us: new towns, plants, animals, a new religion and new ways of reading and counting.
  • Even the word Britain comes from the Romans.

This wasn't all the Romans gave Britain though鈥

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Roman Roads

A cobbled Roman road extending into the horizon.
Image caption,
An original section of the Roman road between Manchester and Yorkshire.
  • The Romans built 10,000 miles of road across Britain.

  • Many of these are used today as modern roads.

  • Fosse Way which went from the Roman towns of Lincoln to Exeter.

  • Today, this is the A46 to Leicester.

A cobbled Roman road extending into the horizon.
Image caption,
An original section of the Roman road between Manchester and Yorkshire.
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British towns and cities

A Roman archway in Colchester.
Image caption,
The Romans built walls around many of their towns. Some are even standing today, like this one in Colchester.
  • London (Londinium) was Britain鈥檚 greatest city and is today the capital of the UK.

What's in a name?

  • If a place-name has chester, caster or cester in it, it's almost certainly Roman.
  • Gloucester, Worcester, Colchester, Doncaster and Manchester are good examples.
  • Other important Roman towns included Lincoln, Exeter, York, and Bath.

Clever town layouts

  • Towns are designed in a鈥痝rid. Streets criss-crossed the town to form blocks called insulae.
  • In the middle was the forum. A big market square where people came to trade.
A Roman archway in Colchester.
Image caption,
The Romans built walls around many of their towns. Some are even standing today, like this one in Colchester.
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Roman places in Britain you can still see

Hadrian's wall travelling into the horizon.
Image caption,
Hadrian's Wall
  • Of all the Roman remains in Britain, Hadrian's Wall is probably the most famous.
  • In AD122 the Emperor Hadrian ordered his soldiers to build a wall between Roman Britain and Scotland.
  • It ran for 73 miles from Wallsend-on-Tyne to Bowness.
The ruins of the roman fort at Chester.
Image caption,
These are the ruins of the barracks at Chester's Roman Fort.
  • Chester fort was built around AD123 and the Romans called it 鈥楥ilurum鈥.
  • Soldiers who lived here would have served on Hadrian鈥檚 Wall.
The Roman amphitheatre in Caerleon, which is covered by grass.
Image caption,
Caerleon in Wales.
  • Caerleon is the site of a 1st century fort the Romans called 鈥業sca鈥. Archaeologists have uncovered barracks and a bathhouse inside.
  • There was also a nearby harbour and this amphitheatre, where soldiers were entertained by gladiator fights.
The Roman amphitheatre in Caerleon, which is covered by grass.
Image caption,
Caerleon in Wales.
A view of inside the Roman baths in the city of Bath in Somerset
Image caption,
These are the Roman baths in the city of Bath in Somerset.
  • People came to the baths to get fit, get clean and meet friends.
  • The Romans realised it was a good place for a warm dip, because the water is naturally heated by the rocks deep below the ground.
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Language, writing and numbers

Before the Romans came, very few Britons could read or write. Instead, information was usually passed by word of mouth.

  • They spoke Latin, and it wasn鈥檛 long before some Britons started to use it too.
  • We've got words and phrases today that come from Latin. Words like exit, which means he or she goes out.
  • Our coins are based on a Roman design. Written around some 拢1 coins is the Latin phrase 'decus et tutamen' which means glory and protection.
Roman Briton's reading Latin
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Activity: How the Romans changed Britain quiz

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