“In our present age, with its passion for reality and urge to be ever on the move, no one who is interested in Romano-British archaeology can be content to look at photographs and read descriptions in books. He must be up and out to see the actual monuments, whether in town or country or within museum walls.”
So wrote the late Professor Toynbee in her foreword to the 1975 edition of A Guide to the Roman Remains in Britain by Roger Wilson. She’s right! And here is a list to get you ‘up and out’.
10. North Leigh Roman Villa (Oxfordshire)
This is a great place, down a little lane, nearly deserted when I was there. A train whizzes past every now and then, but you’re alone with the stones. There’s no gift shop, but there is a building covering (and locking away) the impressive mosaics.
9. Birdoswald Roman Fort (Hadrian’s Wall)
I love many things about Birdoswald. Its location, of course, is fantastic, but that’s not all.
Firstly, you can actually stay within the walls of the fort with a group, at the seven-bedroom bunkhouse – it’s quite an experience to wake up to! Then there are the excavations near the house, but what I enjoy most is wandering across the bumpy grass to the walls of the fort, and musing on the door-post-holes in the gates, watched over by the grazing sheep.
8. Lullingstone Roman Villa (Kent)
A remarkable place – and within the M25 so pretty accessible if you live in or near London. There is a stunning in-situ Bellerophon mosaic, and an excellent audio-visual display; there’s also some interesting interplay between the pagan and Christian uses of some of the rooms.
7. Caerleon Roman Fortress and Baths (Gwent)
A chance to see a bath house, a barrack block and an amphitheatre in close proximity.
The museum is excellent, the reconstructions are great for kids, the baths have atmospheric lighting and sound to bring them back to life: a generally lovely Roman experience for the day.
6. The Roman Painted House (Dover)
It’s a long way from most of you, but worth a visit if you’re anywhere near. The Roman Painted House was only unearthed a few decades ago, and its painted walls, hypocaust and atmosphere are excellent. It’s all run by volunteers, and when I was there, I chatted to a very knowledgeable and interesting volunteer, who turned out to be Brian Philp, author of most of the books about Roman Kent, who was responsible for the discovery of this site and many others in the area.
5. Arbeia Roman Fort (Tyne and Wear)
The first few times I visited Hadrian’s Wall, I didn’t come this far east, and it was a major error. This place is located amongst urban streets with Roman names (Vespasian Street for example) and has some amazing reconstructions and fascinating ruins. If you can get a local guide, so much the better!
4. Chedworth Roman Villa (Gloucestershire)
More outstanding mosaics, and lots to keep you interested – from a watery shrine to a latrine. Beautiful countryside, a very well-run and stocked shop (it’s the National Trust!) and another chance to imagine the history of the Romans on this far-flung island!
It’s not the only fascinating Roman site in London by any means, but it is currently my favourite. The welcome is warm, and the atmosphere down in the depths is spooky and very enjoyable. It’s nice to be reminded of the sheer breadth and fluidity of the Empire which allowed this eastern god to travel all the way to this remote island.
2. Richborough Roman Fort (Kent)
Sorry, the third site in Kent, but then this is where the Romans first arrived! What I love about this place, beyond the impressive and unusual height of its walls, is the way the different eras of Roman invasion intersect each other, with ditches, walls and buildings.
1. Hardknott Roman Fort (Cumbria)
An unforgettable location makes this my favourite lesser-known Roman site in the country. Perched high beside a rocky pass, with views of the beautiful countryside, this fort is isolated and spectacular. As cyclists pant past on the mountainous road, you’ll clamber around the fort accompanied by inquisitive sheep. What makes this place even better is that you can get here by an hour’s walk from the wonderful Ravenglass and Eskdale Steam Railway, which comes from Ravenglass on the coast, the site of a Roman bath house.
And what about the rest…?
Below are the big-ticket, must-visit sites, and they all have great appeal to a Classics teacher- intrinsically and for their links to CLC, Minimus etc.
