Romans in North Wales

Very recently new light has been shed on what life in ancient North Wales was really like.

Archaeologists have unearthed incredible secrets which have lain undiscovered for centuries. Items discovered vary from Roman skeletons to what may be a 3500 year old Bronze Age canoe and an Iron Age building estimated to be more than 2500 years old.

One of the most recent discoveries in North Wales has been a Roman villa , buried under a field in Rossett and said to be the first of its kind found in NE Wales described as adding to our knowledge of the history of the area during the Roman period The discovery was the result of local detectorists finding Roman artefacts and the villa was eventually uncovered by archaeologists from Wrexham Museum, the University of Chester and Archaeological Survey West.

The remains consist of a number of stone and tile buildings surrounding a central courtyard. Other buildings and structures were also found on the site together with more artefacts all dating from the late 1st century to the early 4th century suggesting that the villa was occupied for most of the time the Romans ruled Britain.

The Romans invaded Britain in AD43 and the fortress at Chester was established around AD74. This was a relatively peaceful time resulting in a network of towns and rural settlements. Most villas were mainly farming establishments of simple design but there were also the grand villas with mosaic floors,bath houses and under floor heating systems !!! Experts think that the Rossett villa may be of the grander style.

More archaeological digs relating to Roman times have been discovered at Caernarfon and on the Isle of Anglesey but perhaps we will go there another time.