Roman towns in Britain

When the Romans invaded Britain, they built large towns where there had only been small villages and settlements before. Some of the biggest towns they built were London, Colchester, York and Bath. Towns were very important to the Romans, and were used to control and govern the countries they had conquered.

People who lived in the countryside would go to towns to visit markets. There they could sell their crops and animals and buy clothes, tools, furniture and jewellery. They could also visit and speak to the powerful men who governed the areas that they lived in. The Romans would make their towns look as big and impressive as possible. This would make all the people who visited them think about how rich and powerful the Roman Empire was, which was exactly what the Romans wanted them to think!

The Romans built over 40 towns, each with about 2,000-3,000 people living in them. Most of the people who lived in them were British, who enjoyed town life just as much as the Romans. The towns were either square or rectangular, and were surrounded by walls to protect them from attack. They usually had four gates, one in the middle of each wall. Each town would consist of a forum and basilica, an amphitheatre, a bath-house, shops and houses. Towns were very healthy places, nearly all with clean water, and proper sewers.

Here is a plan showing how a Roman town may have been laid out.