Verulamium was the third largest city in Roman Britain. The city of St Albans in Hertfordshire is next to where Verulamium once stood. Queen Boadicea and her army destroyed Verulamium in 60AD when she fought against the Roman occupiers. Before the Romans it was known as Verlamion, (meaning 'settlement above the marsh') the capital of the Catuvellauni tribe of the Britons.
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Hertfordshire
A theatre once stood in the Roman city of Verulamium
The remains of the city walls.
The modern town of St Albans lies to the east of one of the most important sites of Roman Britain. As the third largest Romano-British city in the country, Verulamium remains largely undisturbed by later building work and, with less than 40% of its 200 acre area having been excavated, much still remains undiscovered. The first occupation of the town appears to have been a small military outpost set up to protect a crossing on the River Ver. This soon developed into a municipium, or a self-governing community, and is the only known British example. A rebellion led by Queen Boadicea in AD60 brought the community to a swift end when it was savagely raised to the ground.
It was almost two decades before the town recovered, with a new forum and basilica being dedicated in AD79. Misfortune again hit the city in AD115 when a serious fire destroyed a large part of Verulamium. After the fire the majority of buildings were re-erected in stone, many of which were floored with fine mosaics. The theatre was built at this time, together with an adjacent temple and two monumental archways on Watling Street, one facing London and the other facing Chester. Town walls, still in evidence at various points around St Albans today, were constructed in the 3rd century, and the projecting bastions were added early in the 4th century. The town itself appears to have prospered well into the 5th century before finally being abandoned.
Exploring the remains involves a leisurely stroll around part of the town, a public park, and the museum. Beginning at the museum gives the visitor a good understanding of the city's history, as well as having the opportunity to view the considerable artefacts displayed that have been found during excavations. On the opposite side of the road from the museum is the Roman Theatre (not to be confused with an amphitheatre), which is the only visible example in Britain. Constructed in the middle of the 2nd century it underwent several phases of re-building before being finally abandoned in cAD380, when it was used as a communal rubbish tip. Marked in concrete adjacent to the theatre is the site of some shops from the original town destroyed by Boadicea, these shops constituting the earliest known Roman ground plan in the country.
From the museum car park, there are signs showing the way to the hypocaust. A modern bungalow now covers the remains of the bath house, the hypocaust of which has been exposed. Following the Roman trail towards St Albans cathedral, several isolated fragments of the city walls can be seen. One stretch, now tree-lined, is very substantial and the defensive ditch is still clearly visible to some depth to the left of the wall. The foundations of the massive London Gate can also be seen at the beginning of this section of wall, a model of which is displayed in the museum. Discovering the remains of the Roman city of Verulamium, now preserved within a public park among lakes and wildfowl, makes for a very pleasant and educational way to spend a couple of hours.
St Albans
St Albans began as a major settlement in the Late Iron Age
Verulamium, that settlements Roman successor, became the 3rd largest city in Roman Britain
Alban was the earliest Christian martyr in northern Europe
The only English Pope was educated in St. Albans
Magna Carta was drafted in St. Albans
The first battle of the Wars of the Roses was fought in the streets themselves of St Albans
http://www.theheritagetrail.co.uk/roman britain/st_albans.htm
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The magnificent cathedral in the city of St Albans, Hertfordshire
Centre of St Albans. The city is just to the east of where the Roman city of Verulamium stood.
Verulamium was the third largest city in Roman Britain. It was sited to the south west of the modern city of St Albans in Hertfordshire, on what is now park and agricultural land, though parts have been built upon. A large portion of the city still awaits excavation by future generations of archaeologists.
Before the Romans it was known as Verlamion, (meaning 'settlement above the marsh') the capital of the Catuvellauni tribe. The settlement was established by their leader Tasciovanus. In this pre-Roman form it was among the first places in Britain recorded by name. It was built beside the River Ver.
The Roman settlement was granted the rank of municipium in c. AD 50, meaning its citizens had all the rights of a citizen of Rome. It grew to a significant town, despite the attentions of Boudica of the Iceni in AD 61. It grew steadily —by the early 200s it covered an area of about 125 acres (0.5 km²), behind a deep ditch and wall. It had a forum, basilica and a theatre, most of which were destroyed during two fires, one in AD 155 and the other around AD 250. One of the few extant Roman inscriptions in Britain is found on the remnants of the forum; see Verulamium Forum inscription. The town was rebuilt in stone rather than timber at least twice over the next 150 years. Occupation by the Romans ended between 450 and 500.
There are a few remains of the Roman city visible, such as parts of the city walls and a hypocaust and theatre. The city was ransacked for building material when St Albans was founded; indeed, much of the Norman abbey was constructed from the remains of the Roman city. More remains are believed to exist under agricultural land near St Albans, which has apparently never been investigated by archaeologists and which for a while were seriously threatened by deep ploughing of the land.
The modern city takes its name from Alban, a citizen of Verulamium who was condemned to death in the 3rd century for sheltering a Christian priest who converted him to Christianity, and who became the first British Christian martyr.
There is a museum in Verulamium park (adjacent to St Michael's Church) which contains much information about the town, both as a Roman and iron age settlement, plus Roman history in general. The museum contains many artifacts such as pottery and coins from the Roman town as well as mosaics, coffins and other remains unearthed in the surrounding area during 20th century building works. It is considered one of the best museums of Roman history in the country. Much of the modern city and its environs is built over Roman remains; it is not uncommon to unearth Roman artifacts several miles from the city itself, and a complete tile kiln was found in Park Street some six miles from Verulamium in the 1970s.
Within the walls of Verulam, which he took for the name of his Barony, Sir Francis Bacon, the essayist and statesman, built a refined small house that was thoroughly described by the 17th century diarist John Aubrey; no trace of it is left, but Aubrey noted "At Verulam is to be seen, in some few places, some remains of the wall of this Citie"
wikipedia.org
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Hertfordshire
A theatre once stood in the Roman city of Verulamium

The remains of the city walls.
The modern town of St Albans lies to the east of one of the most important sites of Roman Britain. As the third largest Romano-British city in the country, Verulamium remains largely undisturbed by later building work and, with less than 40% of its 200 acre area having been excavated, much still remains undiscovered. The first occupation of the town appears to have been a small military outpost set up to protect a crossing on the River Ver. This soon developed into a municipium, or a self-governing community, and is the only known British example. A rebellion led by Queen Boadicea in AD60 brought the community to a swift end when it was savagely raised to the ground.
It was almost two decades before the town recovered, with a new forum and basilica being dedicated in AD79. Misfortune again hit the city in AD115 when a serious fire destroyed a large part of Verulamium. After the fire the majority of buildings were re-erected in stone, many of which were floored with fine mosaics. The theatre was built at this time, together with an adjacent temple and two monumental archways on Watling Street, one facing London and the other facing Chester. Town walls, still in evidence at various points around St Albans today, were constructed in the 3rd century, and the projecting bastions were added early in the 4th century. The town itself appears to have prospered well into the 5th century before finally being abandoned.
Exploring the remains involves a leisurely stroll around part of the town, a public park, and the museum. Beginning at the museum gives the visitor a good understanding of the city's history, as well as having the opportunity to view the considerable artefacts displayed that have been found during excavations. On the opposite side of the road from the museum is the Roman Theatre (not to be confused with an amphitheatre), which is the only visible example in Britain. Constructed in the middle of the 2nd century it underwent several phases of re-building before being finally abandoned in cAD380, when it was used as a communal rubbish tip. Marked in concrete adjacent to the theatre is the site of some shops from the original town destroyed by Boadicea, these shops constituting the earliest known Roman ground plan in the country.
From the museum car park, there are signs showing the way to the hypocaust. A modern bungalow now covers the remains of the bath house, the hypocaust of which has been exposed. Following the Roman trail towards St Albans cathedral, several isolated fragments of the city walls can be seen. One stretch, now tree-lined, is very substantial and the defensive ditch is still clearly visible to some depth to the left of the wall. The foundations of the massive London Gate can also be seen at the beginning of this section of wall, a model of which is displayed in the museum. Discovering the remains of the Roman city of Verulamium, now preserved within a public park among lakes and wildfowl, makes for a very pleasant and educational way to spend a couple of hours.
St Albans
St Albans began as a major settlement in the Late Iron Age
Verulamium, that settlements Roman successor, became the 3rd largest city in Roman Britain
Alban was the earliest Christian martyr in northern Europe
The only English Pope was educated in St. Albans
Magna Carta was drafted in St. Albans
The first battle of the Wars of the Roses was fought in the streets themselves of St Albans
http://www.theheritagetrail.co.uk/roman britain/st_albans.htm
*****************************************************************************

The magnificent cathedral in the city of St Albans, Hertfordshire

Centre of St Albans. The city is just to the east of where the Roman city of Verulamium stood.
Verulamium was the third largest city in Roman Britain. It was sited to the south west of the modern city of St Albans in Hertfordshire, on what is now park and agricultural land, though parts have been built upon. A large portion of the city still awaits excavation by future generations of archaeologists.
Before the Romans it was known as Verlamion, (meaning 'settlement above the marsh') the capital of the Catuvellauni tribe. The settlement was established by their leader Tasciovanus. In this pre-Roman form it was among the first places in Britain recorded by name. It was built beside the River Ver.
The Roman settlement was granted the rank of municipium in c. AD 50, meaning its citizens had all the rights of a citizen of Rome. It grew to a significant town, despite the attentions of Boudica of the Iceni in AD 61. It grew steadily —by the early 200s it covered an area of about 125 acres (0.5 km²), behind a deep ditch and wall. It had a forum, basilica and a theatre, most of which were destroyed during two fires, one in AD 155 and the other around AD 250. One of the few extant Roman inscriptions in Britain is found on the remnants of the forum; see Verulamium Forum inscription. The town was rebuilt in stone rather than timber at least twice over the next 150 years. Occupation by the Romans ended between 450 and 500.
There are a few remains of the Roman city visible, such as parts of the city walls and a hypocaust and theatre. The city was ransacked for building material when St Albans was founded; indeed, much of the Norman abbey was constructed from the remains of the Roman city. More remains are believed to exist under agricultural land near St Albans, which has apparently never been investigated by archaeologists and which for a while were seriously threatened by deep ploughing of the land.
The modern city takes its name from Alban, a citizen of Verulamium who was condemned to death in the 3rd century for sheltering a Christian priest who converted him to Christianity, and who became the first British Christian martyr.
There is a museum in Verulamium park (adjacent to St Michael's Church) which contains much information about the town, both as a Roman and iron age settlement, plus Roman history in general. The museum contains many artifacts such as pottery and coins from the Roman town as well as mosaics, coffins and other remains unearthed in the surrounding area during 20th century building works. It is considered one of the best museums of Roman history in the country. Much of the modern city and its environs is built over Roman remains; it is not uncommon to unearth Roman artifacts several miles from the city itself, and a complete tile kiln was found in Park Street some six miles from Verulamium in the 1970s.
Within the walls of Verulam, which he took for the name of his Barony, Sir Francis Bacon, the essayist and statesman, built a refined small house that was thoroughly described by the 17th century diarist John Aubrey; no trace of it is left, but Aubrey noted "At Verulam is to be seen, in some few places, some remains of the wall of this Citie"
wikipedia.org