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The Roman Traces To Discover
Even though Italy was the cradle of the Roman Empire the power of ancient Romans was reached far beyond the mediterranean area. The remains of Roman presence can be found in more distant countries such as Belgium, Austria, Germany and Switzerland. Great Britain became also a part of the Roman Empire for almost four centuries.
More information about the Roman Empire
It is believed that the Roman conquest of Great Britain begun on the marshes of East Kent. The first legions of Roman soldiers landed in Richborough (latin name Rutupiae) in AD 43 and settled the first bridgehead on the British land. Currently tourists can admire the fort walls and the foundations of the triumph arch which was built to commemorate the conquest. The Roman fort in Richborough is now managed by British Heritage.
After the landing in Richborough Romans marched into the land to establish settlements and forts. Dover (Portus Dubris) boasts the remains of a Roman painted house and a lighthouse on the top of the hill, just next to the castle in Canterbury (Durovernum Cantiacorum) tourists can find a Roman house and a Roman Museum. Bath (Aquae Sulis) with the famous Roman baths is probably the best known worldwide Roman attraction in Great Britain. In total there are around 40 towns and cities of Roman origin in England (Albion) and Wales (Cambria).
More information about Bath.
The Roman established their first capital of Great Britain in Colchester (Camulodunum). They built a fortress in the place of the present town centre. By AD 49 Camulodunum became a civilian settlement and the legions headed North. The unprotected town was destroyed in AD 60 by the queen Boudrica's army. After an immediate reconstruction, the town was surrounded by an impresive wall. It is now the oldest town wall in the country, over 2 km long. There are much more worth seeing sites in the town. Visitors of Colchester can also admire the foundations of the Temple of Claudius under the Colchester Castle, remains of the theatre and Balkerne Gate - the main Roman entrance gate to the town. Excavations are still in progress, the most recent discovery is a Roman Circus, seating up to 15,000 people.
The Roman civilization spreaded through England and Wales. Famous cities such as Chester (Deva Victrix) and York (Eboracum) were settled during the Roman expansion in the Northern part of Britain. After 500 km of successful conquest Roman soldiers met with unexpected resistance - Valiant Scottish tribes of Picts. In contrary to England and Wales, the majority of Scotland (Caledonia) was never conquered by the Roman Empire. Romans build border fortifications known as Hadrian's Wall and Antonine's Wall to control the flow of people between the South and the North of Britain.
Today Hadrian's Wall is called the greatest Roman monument in the country and the biggest one in Northern Europe. It is 73 miles long and is spanning between Bowness-on-Solway on the West coast and Wallsend in the East. It's impressive how fast the Roman legions built the wall, it took them only 6 years to complete the construction in AD 128. Hadrian's Wall Heritage offers a variety of walking and cycling routes along the wall. It's a pure pleasure to walk through the hills, moorlands, forests and urban areas, visiting the remains of the forts.
Don't miss the chance to discover a once in a lifetime experience.
More information about attractions in Britain.