The Romans
English Heritage cares for over 50 sites where you can discover the secrets and stories of Roman Britain. From luxury villas and rugged forts, to the towns along Hadrian’s Wall, our collections are packed with fascinating Roman artefacts.
Explore our range of articles and videos about Roman Britain on this page, along with information about our sites to help you plan your historic days out.
Visit a Roman Site in England
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Birdoswald Roman Fort | Hadrian's Wall
Birdoswald Roman Fort is the perfect place to stop off on a family day out or if you're walking or cycling along Hadrian's Wall in Cumbria. Extensive remains of the Roman Fort can be explored.
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Chesters Roman Fort | Hadrian's Wall
Built almost 2000 years ago to house a Roman army garrison guarding the nearby bridge across the River Tyne, Chesters Roman Fort is one of the most impressive visitor attractions in the North East.
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Corbridge Roman Town | Hadrian's Wall
Visitors to Corbridge can walk along the main street of this Roman garrison town, flanked by the remains of granaries, a fountain house, markets, workshops and temples.
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Aldborough Roman Site | Yorkshire
Roman mosaic pavements line the remains of this once northern tribal capital, set amid a peaceful Victorian garden.
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Lullingstone Roman Villa | Kent
Among the most outstanding Roman villa survivals in Britain, Lullingstone provides a unique all weather family day out. See fascinating Roman artifacts and enjoy a specially commissioned light show.
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Richborough Roman Fort and Amphitheatre | Kent
Evocatively sited amid the East Kent marshes, Richborough is perhaps the most symbolically important of all Roman sites in Britain, witnessing both the beginning and almost the end of Roman rule here.
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Wroxeter Roman City | Shropshire
Discover urban-living 2,000 years ago at Viriconium Cornoviorum (Wroxeter) - one of the largest cities in Roman Britain.
How Were Roman Baths Really Used?
Head to Wroxeter Roman City with Presenter Ben Shires as he discovers just how important bathing was to the Romans. Whether you fancied a quick dip, wanted to socialise with friends or needed to book in a business meeting, bathing was at the heart of Roman life.
Free Roman Sites to Visit
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Caister Roman Fort | Norfolk
The partial excavated remains of a Roman ‘Saxon Shore’ fort, including wall and ditch sections and building foundations.
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Chester Roman Amphitheatre | Cheshire
The largest Roman amphitheatre in Britain, used for entertainment and military training by the 20th Legion, based at the fortress of 'Deva' (Chester).
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Cirencester Amphitheatre | Gloucestershire
The earthwork remains of one of the largest Roman amphitheatres in Britain, built in the early 2nd century to serve the important city of Corinium, now Cirencester.
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Hardknott Roman Fort | Cumbria
This remote and dramatically-sited fort was founded under Hadrian's rule in the 2nd century.Well-marked remains include the headquarters building, commandant's house and bath house.
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Ravenglass Roman Bath House | Cumbria
The remains of the bath house of Ravenglass Roman fort, established in AD 130, are among the tallest Roman structures surviving in northern Britain: the walls stand almost 4 metres (13 feet) high.
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Reculver Towers and Roman Fort | Kent
An imposing landmark, the twin 12th-century towers of the ruined church stand amid the remains of an important Roman 'Saxon Shore' fort and a Saxon monastery.
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Roman Wall of St Albans | Hertfordshire
A section of the two-mile long wall built between AD 265 and 270 to defend the Roman city of Verulamium: including the foundations of towers and the London Gate.
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Silchester Roman City Walls and Amphitheatre | Hampshire
Originally a tribal centre of the Iron Age Atrebates, Silchester became the large and important Roman town of Calleva Atrebatum.
ROMAN FACE POTS
LEARN MORE AND CREATE YOUR OWN USING OUR FACE POT GALLERY
Face pots were widely used across the western provinces of Roman Britain and are some of the most striking artefacts we have to evidence everyday life under Roman rule. Intriguingly, despite their wide use, archaeologists aren’t entirely certain about the function or importance of Roman face pots.
Visit our Face Pot gallery to create your own digital pottery masterpiece, see other people's creations and learn about what these curious ceramic pieces might have meant to people living in Roman Britain.
VISIT THE FACE POT GALLERY-
Making Face Pots the Roman Way
Join Frances McIntosh, English Heritage Collections Curator for Hadrian’s Wall, as she visits expert potter Graham Taylor to discover how a modern potter uses historical methods to recreate these distinctive objects.
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What Makes Face Pots So Intriguing?
Take a closer look at the vessels discovered at Corbridge Roman Town and to discuss why these enigmatic faces from the past are so intriguing.
Who was Hadrian?
Learn more about Emperor Hadrian's life, relationships and legacy.
Hadrian assumed control over the vast Roman Empire in AD117 following the death of his adoptive father, Trajan. As emperor, he broke with the expansionist policies of his predecessors to focus on securing the Roman Empire within its existing borders.
Learn about HadrianExplore Hadrian's Wall from home
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Why was Hadrian's Wall built?
The creation of Hadrian’s Wall was a project without precedence in ancient Europe. How and why did the Romans build this ingenious structure?
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A 360° View of Hadrian’s Wall
Explore Hadrian's Wall with our 360° tour of two of its most important landmarks: Chesters Roman Fort and Housesteads Roman Fort.
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Postcard from Hadrian's Wall
Enjoy our spectacular drone footage of Hadrian's Wall in the north of England.
Get creative with our Roman-themed activities
MAKE A MODEL ROMAN PREFECT'S HOUSE
Find out about life at Housesteads Roman Fort on Hadrian's Wall, the most complete example of a Roman fort in Britain.
Then, download the template and follow our easy step by step instructions to make your own model of the prefect’s house at the fort.
Make a model-
Colour a Roman poster
Download this colouring poster showing a busy Roman town and bring the scene to life with your coloured pencils, pens or paints!
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MAKE YOUR OWN ROMAN TABULA
Romans used wax tablets to write down important notes. Find out about this handy tool and learn how to make your very own 21st-century version.
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MAKE A ROMAN MOSAIC
Roman Villas were decorated with beautiful mosaics. Watch our video to discover why and how they were made, and how you can make your own.
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Make a tasty Roman Burger
You may think burgers are American, but the Romans beat them to it! Download the recipe and ask a grown-up to help you make Roman burgers.
Roman Podcasts
From AD43 to AD410 Britain was under the control of the Roman Empire, from Hadrian’s Wall in the north of England to Richborough Fort in Kent.
Listen to the English Heritage Podcast to explore the archaeological discoveries made at these sites, as well as what they can tell us about Roman life in Britain.
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Episode 42 | What life was like for the Romans on Hadrian’s Wall
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Episode 53 | On the edge of the Roman Empire: The forts of Hadrian’s Wall
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Episode 82 | The story of Chesters Roman Fort on Hadrian’s Wall
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Episode 93 | Superstition, magic and the Evil Eye in the Roman world
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Episode 115 | A new excavation at Birdoswald Roman Fort
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Episode 126 | Hot tubs and hypocausts: Roman bathing in Britain
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Episode 128 | Uncovering the secrets of Richborough Roman Fort and Amphitheatre
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Episode 136 | Who were the Romans of Britannia?
More to Explore
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Travel guides
Plan a weekend away or take a short break with our regional travel guides. Our guides are packed with ideas of things to see and do, plus practical advice for getting around.
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Top Tearooms
We know that cafés and tearooms are an important part of your visit. Here are some of our favourites from around the country.
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