Roman London

There is an excellent App available for iPads from the Museum of London - which superimposes a map of Londinium upon the modern street map of the British capital. It also highlights were archaeological finds have been made. It is available in the Apple App Store as "Streetmuseum: Londinium"

The map is also available as a printed map.



For a modern city, it is amazing what can still be seen. I would thoroughly recommend a visit to the Museum of London - the gallery on Roman London has been superbly designed to give the visitor an understanding of both the general picture of Roman London as well as specific aspects of life in that busy city. The website can be found at http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london. It is within easy walking distance of St Pauls and Moorgate underground stations.

Much of the wall which was first built by the Romans has disappeared - but its route can be followed. Some sections still stand. If you walk from Tower Hill underground station towards the tower you will see a significant part of the original Roman wall. I've walked the walls many times - but now that I'm reading this book - I will be rewalking it shortly



Underneath the Guildhall are the remains of the amphitheatre. Further details are available here.

The city was built around two hills. St Paul's Cathedral sits atop Ludgate Hill - and many Roman remains have been found in the area - particularly when Paternoster Square was redeveloped. Leadenhall Market stands on Cornhill - the other main hill, upon which the Roman Forum and Basilica were built.

Between the two hills were the valley of the River Wallbrook (sometimes spelt Walbrook). Excavations there (particularly at Bloomberg Place which is now close to completion  - do see the archaeological blog at https://walbrookdiscovery.wordpress.com)

Watling Street

Watling Street was perhaps the most most important Roman road in England. It ran from the ports in Kent to Londinium (London) to Wroxeter on the border with Wales. Late it became the main route to Ireland – ending at Holyhead. Most of the route is now the A5 (except in the MK area). The Romans did not call it 'Watling Street', that name came later.

In the Borough of Milton Keynes (where I live) the main Roman settlement on Watling Street was Magiovinium, just to the south of Fenny Stratford – where the River Ouzel crosses Watling Street. (the garden centre Dobbies is on part of the site). The route (which of course, being a Roman road, was straight) goes in a north westerly direction until the crossing of the Great Ouse at Stony Stratford. This was itself to become an important centre in English history (Richard III – when he was Duke of Gloucester – intercepted and took into “protective custody” his 12 year old nephew, Edward V – at a inn in the town – the Rosé and Crown). However, the town is of Saxon origin. Roman remains discovered north of the river suggest that “Old Stratford” (in Northamptonshire) was an administrative post on the ford across the Great Ouse.

When England was split between an English Kingdom and Danelaw (Treaty of Alfred and Guthrum c 878) – the border was the Great Ouse from Bedford until Stony Stratford, whereupon Watling Street became the border (going northwards).