{"id":430469,"date":"2025-09-17T05:40:59","date_gmt":"2025-09-17T05:40:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/430469\/"},"modified":"2025-09-17T05:40:59","modified_gmt":"2025-09-17T05:40:59","slug":"seven-of-the-most-fascinating-roman-ruins-in-the-uk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/430469\/","title":{"rendered":"Seven of the most fascinating Roman ruins in the UK"},"content":{"rendered":"

Seven of the most fascinating Roman ruins in the UK <\/p>\n

, The Sunday Times<\/p>\n

More than a million people toured the Roman thermae in Bath in 2023 \u2014 the most recent figures. And there were 750,000 visits to sites along Hadrian\u2019s Wall, across the north of England, last year. Should we be surprised? Of course not. The written records of Britain\u2019s 367-year Roman experience may be sketchier than a gladiator\u2019s life prospects, but here \u2014 at the northern end of the empire \u2014 its archaeological footprint is surprisingly deep. For many of us, working out what it means \u2014 and using it to inform and animate our understanding of such a pivotal era \u2014 is an irresistible mind game. Here are seven of the sites that shed the brightest light on that extraordinary era, plus a lovely place to stay near each one.<\/p>\n

1. Richborough, Sandwich, Kent\"Richborough<\/p>\n

The Romans built an early fort in Richborough<\/p>\n

ALAMY<\/p>\n

Here is an example of how threadbare the written sources are. We\u2019re not even sure where, in AD43, the Roman conquest of Britain began. But we do know that at Richborough the invaders built an early fortress and developed a harbour town that was, effectively, the front door of their new province. Its quayside bustled, an amphitheatre provided entertainment for up to 5,000 spectators and a giant arch faced with marble set a triumphant tone. It is, in other words, one of our most resonant Roman sites \u2014 not least because English Heritage has significantly upgraded its presentation of what remains (from \u00a39; english-heritage.org.uk). Nearby, Goss Hall is a snug, 21st-century haven.
Details <\/b>B&B doubles from \u00a3150 (gosshall.co.uk)<\/p>\n

\u2022 Best things to do in England<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

2. Fishbourne Palace, Chichester, West Sussex\"A<\/p>\n

Explore Fishbourne\u2019s mosaics from a raised walkway<\/p>\n

ALAMY<\/p>\n

As the historian David Mattingly puts it, \u201cfor every winner under Roman rule, there were 100 losers\u201d, and few won more handsomely than the owner of Fishbourne Palace \u2014 the largest private Roman building unearthed north of the Alps. Who built it? Was it the client king Cogidubnus, or maybe the governor Sallustius Lucullus? Speculation is all part of the fun. So too is the raised walkway that tiptoes over the property\u2019s mosaics, which once filled 50 rooms (\u00a314; sussexpast.co.uk). Ten minutes\u2019 drive away, the East Pallant Bed and Breakfast is the place to stay.
Details<\/b> B&B doubles from \u00a3185 (east-pallant-bed-breakfast.westsussexhotel.com)<\/p>\n

3. Caerleon, Newport, Monmouthshire\"Ruins<\/p>\n

The Roman amphitheatre at Caerleon<\/p>\n

ALAMY<\/p>\n

It took 40-odd years for the Romans to complete their conquest of what is now England and Wales \u2014 and the fortress at Caerleon, near Newport, is a reminder of just how fierce resistance could be. One of three permanent legionary bases in Britain, it was built to subdue the ancient tribe of Silures, who had resisted the Roman Empire for a generation. Visible remains include the fort\u2019s bathhouse, barracks and amphitheatre (\u00a36; cadw.gov.wales). Nearby, the Priory Hotel & Restaurant is a stylish base. But don\u2019t get too comfy \u2014 ten miles away, the Roman walls at Venta Silurum (modern Caerwent) still stand, up to 15ft tall.
Details<\/b> B&B doubles from \u00a3145 (thepriorycaerleon.co.uk)<\/p>\n

\u2022 Where to stay in Wales<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

4. Great Bath, Bath, Somerset\"The<\/p>\n

The Great Bath still has its original, Roman 45 lead sheets<\/p>\n

ALAMY<\/p>\n

The Roman historian Tacitus sneered at the conquered British elite, saying they were seduced by the trappings of Roman life and \u201ccalled these aspects of their subjugation, civilisation\u201d. But it\u2019s not hard to see the attraction as you wander the thermae in Bath. Around its Great Bath, everything below knee level is original, including the 45 lead sheets that line the pool \u2014 and there\u2019s still a sense of grandeur about the place 1,950 years after it was built (from \u00a326; romanbaths.co.uk). Eight minutes\u2019 walk away, the elegant, boutiquey Yard in Bath hotel is just as seductive.
Details <\/b>Room-only doubles from \u00a3130 (theyardinbath.co.uk)<\/p>\n

\u2022 More great hotels in Bath<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

5. Chysauster Ancient Village, near Penzance, Cornwall\"Ruins<\/p>\n

Chysauster Ancient Village gives a glimpse into the lives of the rural population under Roman control<\/p>\n

ALAMY<\/p>\n

And what of the rural population of ancient Britain \u2014 the ones who didn\u2019t go to bathhouses? Their footprint is much fainter \u2014 and for the clearest sense of how they lived head to Chysauster, far beyond the Romanised core of the province, to see the skeleton of what was once a small village. Here, around a cluster of nine courtyard houses, 50 to 70 people planted cereal crops, herded sheep and tended their gardens (free; english-heritage.org.uk). Ten minutes\u2019 drive south, in Penzance, the Artist Residence is a fun and friendly base.
Details <\/b>B&B doubles from \u00a3127 (artistresidence.co.uk)<\/p>\n

\u2022 Best hotels in Cornwall<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

6. Vindolanda, Hexham, Northumberland\"Ruins<\/p>\n

Vindolanda is one of the best preserved Roman forts in the UK<\/p>\n

ALAMY<\/p>\n

Vindolanda may have been an ordinary auxiliary fortress on the first north-country frontier of Roman Britain, but it\u2019s now a world-class archaeological site, on account of its soggy soil. Each time the fort was rebuilt, the remains of its predecessor were sealed into the earth\u2019s embrace, and as a result all kinds of rare objects have been preserved: sandals, saddles, wooden toilet seats, woollen socks \u2014 you\u2019ll see them all, along with the writing tablets that were the emails of their day (\u00a315; vindolanda.com). Deepen the pleasure by booking a night at the Kirkstyle Inn in Slaggyford.
Details<\/b> B&B doubles from \u00a3200 (theksi.co.uk)<\/p>\n

7. Hadrian\u2019s Wall, Cumbria and Northumberland\"Housesteads<\/p>\n

Visit Housesteads Roman fort in Northumberland as you walk the Hadrian\u2019s Wall Way<\/p>\n

ALAMY<\/p>\n

Is there any way to follow Vindolanda? Yes \u2014 because Hadrian\u2019s Wall stands just a mile north. Here, as it tops the crags of the Whin Sill, it preserves not just a complete system of Roman defence but the methodical and impressive mindset of its builders. Two of its forts are must-sees. At windswept Housesteads it\u2019s easy to imagine the hard graft required to run such an inhospitable outpost. Further west, at Birdoswald, the remains of a 5th-century feasting hall \u2014 the kind used by a local warlord \u2014 points the way to the post-Roman period (from \u00a39 for either fort; english-heritage.org.uk). Farlam Hall offers a luxurious overnight stay nearby.
Details <\/b>B&B doubles from \u00a3306 (farlamhall.com)<\/p>\n

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