Roman cities in Britain

This is a list of cities in Great Britain during the period of Roman occupation from 43 AD to the 5th century.

Traditional arrangement of the Roman provinces after Camden,[1]

Roman cities were known as civitas in Latin. They were mostly fortified settlements where native tribal peoples lived, governed by the Roman officials. The majority of the cities (civitates) listed are either former Iron Age tribal capitals, strategic settlements on Roman roads, trading posts between tribal groups or, occasionally, ports, although the latter two were more usually not defined as civitas. A small number of these cities were settlements of Roman origin, the most famous of which is Aquae Sulis, modern day Bath. At least 26 of the current 63 cities in England and Wales were fortified civitates during the Roman era, the most famous being Camulodunum, modern day Colchester, the first capital of the Roman province of Britannia, and Londinium, modern day London, the later capital of the province and current capital of both England and the United Kingdom today.

This list covers cities throughout Great Britain but does not include Cornwall or Scotland where the Romans had less influence. The list shows the modern (Anglo-Saxon) settlement names as well as the native Brythonic and Roman names for the settlement. Civitates were prefixed with Caer in Brythonic which roughly equates to the same word in modern Welsh, meaning "stronghold", "fortress", or "citadel", usually written in Anglo-Saxon as -caster, -cester, and -chester. The eighth century Welsh monastic author of the Historia Brittonum, Nennius, recorded 28 civitates, which together make up a large proportion of the cities in this list (26 out of the 28 are listed with their likely locations, but several are by no means certain). However, "Caer Custoeint" and "Caer Brithon" are not included, the former having an unknown location and the latter being in Scotland and unlikely to actually have been a Roman civitas.[2] Many of the Roman civitates transitioned into Anglo-Saxon settlements during the Dark Ages, remaining as cities or large towns today. Others, however, fell into disrepair and little but ruins remain, often close to small villages.

Modern Settlement Brythonic Name Roman Name Tribe Associated Historic County Flag Current Status Image Mentioned by Nennius
Alcester Caer Alen Alauna Local Tribe Warwickshire Town No
Aldborough Caer Isurion Isurium Brigantum Brigantes West Riding of Yorkshire Village No
Bath Caer Baddon Aquae Sulis Roman Settlement Somerset City No
Brough Caer Petuar Petuaria Parisi East Riding of Yorkshire Town No
Builth Wells Caer Peris Unknown Ordovices & Silures Brecknockshire Town Yes
Caernarfon Caer Segeint Segontium Ordovices Caernarfonshire Town Yes
Caistor (Thancaster) Caer Correi Caistor Corieltauvi Lincolnshire Town No
Cambridge Caer Grauth Duroliponte Catuvellauni Cambridgeshire City Yes
Canterbury Caer Ceint Durovernum Cantiacorum Cantiaci Kent City Yes
Cardiff Caer Teim Tamium Silures Glamorgan City No
Carlisle Capital of Britannia Valentia Caer Ligualid Luguvalium Carvetii Cumberland City Yes
Carmarthen Caer Merddyn Moridunum Demetae Carmarthenshire Town Unlikely
Catterick Caer Catarauc Cataractonium Brigantes North Riding of Yorkshire Village Yes
Chepstow (Caerwent) Caer Guent (possibly) Venta Silurum Silures Monmouthshire Town (Village) Yes
Chester Caer Legion Deva Victrix Cornovii (Midlands) Cheshire City Yes
Chichester Caer Cei Noviomagus Reginorum Regni Sussex City No
Cirencester Capital of Britannia Prima Caer Ceri Corinium Dobunnorum Dobunni Gloucestershire Town No
Colchester Early Capital of Britannia Caer Colun Camulodunum Trinovantes Essex City (2022)[3] Yes
Conwy (Caerhun) Caer Canovion (Informally)[4] Canovium Deceangorum Deceangli Denbighshire Town (Village) No
Doncaster Caer Daun Danum Roman Settlement West Riding of Yorkshire City (2022)[3] Yes
Dorchester Caer Durnac Durnovaria Durotriges Dorset Town No
Dunster Caer Draitou Unknown Dumnonii Somerset Village Yes
Durham (Binchester) Caer Weir Vinovia Brigantes County Durham City (Village) No
Exeter Caer Uisc Isca Dumnoniorum Dumnonii Devon City No
Gloucester Capital of Britannia Secunda Caer Glout Glevum Dobunii Gloucestershire City No
Hereford (Kenchester) Caer Fawydd Magnae Dobunnorum Dobunni Herefordshire City (Village) No
Ilchester Caer Pensa vel Coyt Lindinis Lendinienses, part of Durotriges? Somerset Village Yes
Leicester Caer Lerion Ratae Corieltauvorum Corieltauvi Leicestershire City Yes
Lichfield (Wall) Caer Luit coyt Letocetum Cornovii (Midlands) & Corieltauvi Staffordshire City (Village) Yes
Lincoln Capital of Britannia Flavia Caer Lind-colun Lindum Colonia Corieltauvi Lincolnshire City No
City of London Later Capital of Britannia Caer Londein Londinium Catuvellauni & Trinovantes Middlesex City Yes
Manchester Caer Maunguid Mamucium Roman Settlement Lancashire City Yes
Monmouth (The Doward) Caer Guorthigirn Blestium Silures Monmouthshire / Herefordshire Town (Village) Yes, Probably
Norwich (Caistor St Edmund) Caer Guin Truis (possibly) Venta Icenorum Iceni Norfolk City (Village) No
Newport (Caerleon) Caer legion guar uisc Isca Augusta Silures Monmouthshire City (Town) Yes
Portsmouth (Portchester) Caer Portus Portus Adurni Belgae Hampshire City (Village) No
Rochester Caer Dourbruf Durobrivae Cantiacorum Cantiaci Kent Town No
Salisbury (Old Sarum) Caer Sallwg Sorbiodunum Atrebates Wiltshire City Yes
Shrewsbury (Wroxeter) Caer Guricon Viroconium Cornoviorum Cornovii (Midlands) Shropshire Town (Village) Yes
Silchester Caer Celemion Calleva Atrebatum Atrebates Hampshire Village Yes
St Albans Caer Municep Verulamium Catuvellauni Hertfordshire City Yes
Whitchurch Caer Meguidd Mediolanum Cornovii (Midlands) Shropshire Town Yes
Winchester Caer Guent (possibly) Venta Belgarum Belgae Hampshire City Yes
Worcester Caer Guiragon Vertis Dobunii & Cornovii (Midlands) Worcestershire City Yes
York Capital of Britannia Maxima Caer Ebrauc Eboracum Brigantes North Riding of Yorkshire City Yes

References

  1. Camden, William (1610) [Original text published 1586], "The Division of Britaine", Britain, or, a Chorographicall Description of the most flourishing Kingdomes, England, Scotland, and Ireland, Translated by Philemon Holland
  2. "Britannia Articles: Nennius' Twenty-Eight British Cities". 15 April 2016. Archived from the original on 15 April 2016.
  3. "Platinum Jubilee: Eight towns to be made cities for Platinum Jubilee". BBC. 20 May 2022.
  4. "Roman Britain: Deceangi Tribe". roman-britain.co.uk. 21 May 2022.
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