The Romans - 43AD to about 410AD

The Iron Age tribes in the south of England were generally quicker to adapt to the Roman lifestyle than those in the north. However the Iceni, a tribe based in the fens and East Anglia, rebelled within the first few years of Roman rule, and forts were built to guard crossings of the River Nene at Water Newton and Longthorpe.

 

In AD60 the Iceni again rebelled, led by their Queen, Boudica. Units of the 9th Legion based at Longthorpe marched out to try and crush the revolt but were ambushed and massacred by Boudica's warriors. It is thought the survivors took refuge at the fortress at Longthorpe. 

 

The Peterborough area was well served by major Roman roads. Ermine Street the Roman equivalent to the A1 crossed the Nene between Castor and Water Newton. The Fen Causeway crossed the fens, providing a direct link between the East Anglian coast and the Midlands.

 

The Peterborough area flourished in Roman times. An important town Durobrivae (meaning "fortress bridge") grew up around Ermine Street, a few miles upstream from the present city. Rich villas and farmsteads were built in the productive countryside.

 

In later Roman times, the Nene Valley became the centre of a major pottery industry, trading its distinctive wares across Britain. Iron ore was extracted from deposits within the local limestone, and salt was produced from tidal fenland rivers. The Car Dyke, a massive ditch or canal, was constructed along the fen edge east of Peterborough.

 

A rich collection of archaeological sites and finds testifies to the importance of the Peterborough area to Roman Britain. A special site at Castor has been interpreted as the palatial residence of a Roman dignitary perhaps someone involved with the administration of Durobrivae, the pottery industry, or the imperial estate in the fens. The Water Newton Silver (left) dates to around 300AD and is the earliest known Communion set in the Western world, evidence of early Christianity in the area.