Exploring England’s Roman and Viking Past at Colchester Castle

Visiting the Roman Wall at Colchester Castle, July 2024

The Roman invasion of Britain could be the most significant event ever to happen to the British Isles. The Romans affected Britain’s language, culture, geography, architecture, and even the way they think. Britain was part of the Roman Empire for over three and a half centuries although when you visit, that Roman history is not easy to locate. Many countries have plenty of Roman art and architecture on display, but in England, that Roman history appears to have vanished into folklore and myth – until now. I was on the hunt for Roman history and I found both Roman and Norman history at Colchester Castle, located in Essex, former East Angelia.

The Roman Invasion Begins

Around 2,000 years ago, Britain was ruled by tribes of people called the Celts, but this was about to change. The Celts were a number of tribes that could be found in Western and Central Europe including Britain and Ireland. They lived in Britain from roughly 750 BC to AD 43. This is during the end of the Bronze Age and through the Iron Age until the Roman invasion of Britain.

The Romans were building an empire across Europe and stories of Britain’s precious metals including gold, tin, and iron soon reached Italy. With this hunt for gold and plunder, several Roman emperors wanted the glory of conquering Britain and adding it to the empire.

The invasion begins:

In 54-55 BC Julius Caesar tried to invade but failed. In AD43, ordered by Emperor Claudius, a big Roman army landed on the beaches in Kent. Over the next year, it battled inland, storming through hillforts and conquering anyone who stood in their way. Initially, the Celts made peace with the Romans, they agreed to obey Roman laws and pay taxes. In return, they could keep their kingdoms. However, some Celtic leaders chose to fight. After years of heavy taxes and the Romans taking their land, some Celtic tribes were desperate for revenge. In 60 AD, one leader who chose to fight was Queen Boudicca of the Iceni tribe. This Celtic Queen had her sites on the newly completed, Temple of Claudius, built on the ground of modern-day Colchester Castle. This warrior not only tore down the Temple of Claudius, but also laid a path of destruction that stretched from Colchester to the city of London.

Even though the Romans were outnumbered by Boudica’s 200,000 warriors, they were better trained and had better armor. Both sides clashed in a fierce battle, but the Romans won and the Roman army was there to stay for the next three centuries but not without further uprisings.

Hadrian’s Wall, also known as the Roman Wall, is a former defensive fortification of the Roman province of Britannia, begun in AD 122 in the reign of Emperor Hadrian. The Wall marked the boundary between Roman Britannia and unconquered Caledonia, modern-day Scotland, to the north. It was not only a defensive structure, but also a symbolic statement of Rome’s imperial power, marking the border between the so-called civilized world and the unconquered barbarian wilderness.

A part of the Roman Wall still remains at Colchester Castle and can be seen today. Check out this one minute video of me in front of the Roman Wall.

What happened next?

Over the next 300 years, Britain remained a peaceful and successful province of the Roman Empire. New cities, roads, villas, and baths were built. Many Celts became Roman citizens and spoke Latin. However, our story doesn’t end there. You see in 1066 William the Conqueror will stage another invasion and this time he brings the Norman forces to reconquer England for themselves. Just a century earlier, these “Normans” were Vikings and William the Conqueror was related to a great and powerful Viking named, Rolo who became the ArchDuke of Normandy and who would later invade England. Today, you can visit Colchester Castle and see this 11th century Norman Castle in all of its glory and don’t forget to walk to the back of the Castle to visit the Roman Wall, one of the remaining bits of Roman history stil found in England today.

Below are photos from Colchester Castle and its gardens. This is a great place to visit and also ask about the daily tour available when purchasing an entry ticket.

by Sharon Fitzgerald, US History Teacher and former anjunct art history professor, CSULA.

All photos mine except Hadrian’s Wall and map (By Hadrians_Wall_map.png: created by NormanEinstein, and Hadrian’s Wall by quisnovus from Gloucester, England – Hadrian’s Wall)