Wroxeter Roman City

We went on a visit here earlier this year, was great for the kids and good value, we did really enjoy the day see my full review here

We have been meaning to visit this place for years and eventually took the plunge after seeing the «Rome Wasnt Built In A Day» TV show.
The villa from the TV show is still there with audio aids to tell you all about it. Cross the road (ancient Wattling Street) and go to the Roman Town Ruins (Wroxeter used to be the 4^th biggest settlement in Roman England). The place is quite well preserved considering its age and has lots of great visual aids to help you to understand the ancient layout of the bath house and city.
The museum is quite small but really well laid out and informative. The attached shop has all the EH accompaniments.
About £13 for a family of 4 and free for English Heritage members, well worth a visit.

If you were to watch a random episode of Time Team you may be mistaken in thinking that most of Britain’s Roman history lies buried beneath ploughed fields, hidden from view, until Baldrick and his mates come along with their spades and geophysics and get all excited over a piece of Samian Ware, but just outside Shrewsbury there lies the remains of Roman Britain’s 4^th largest town and some of it’s above ground.
It’s no Pompeii, there are no houses intact with raunchy artwork, but the foundations of the baths are still there along with the huge South wall of the Basilica. If, like me, you get a kick out of this sort of stuff then this is a fine place to spend a sunny Shropshire afternoon.
Owned by English Heritage the site also includes a small shop and museum which houses a collection of booty found on the site.
The majority of Wroxeter is still beneath the soil so it’s hard to get a clear idea of how big this place actually was. Thought to be the most Westerly town in the Roman Empire there’s a possibility that even Emperor Hadrian popped by during his visit to Britain. By that time the Twentieth Legion had buggered off to their new base in Chester leaving the local Cornovii tribe to take it as their capital and it thrived as a market town.
It doesn’t take long to walk around but if you like history and archaeology it’s interesting stuff. I’m always amazed when looking at Roman masonry that it isn’t as contemporary as it seems; the hypercaust and underfloor heating is very now I hear.
And if you really want to immerse yourself in all things Roman there is a vineyard nearby that sells bottles of local vino. Just keep telling yourself it’s part of the cultural experience, after all When in Rome