English HistoryWe Must Leave Our Land

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What was Britain like before the Romans?

Before the Romans invaded, Celts lived in Britain. There were lots of different tribes ruled by kings or chiefs. Chiefs often fought one another. A chief would lead his warriors into battle in chariots pulled by horses. For defence against enemies, they built forts on hilltops. These hill-forts had earth banks and wooden walls.

In Celtic Britain there were no towns. Most people were farmers living in villages. They made round houses from wood and mud, with Thatched roofs. There were no roads. People travelled by boats on rivers, or along muddy paths. Some British Celts crossed the sea to trade with other Celts in the Roman Empire.

Julius Caesar

A Celtic shield, found in the River Thames (London). It's too fine for use in battle. Perhaps it was thrown in the river as a

gift to the gods.

This Roman gold coin shows the Emperor Claudius, with war trophies. The Latin letters stand for 'Triumph over the Britons'

Here is a Roman legionary soldier fighting a 'barbarian' Celt.

Lunt Fort (Coventry) is a modern reconstruction of a Roman fort. This photo shows the wooden walls and gate. (See

Romans Defence of Britain for side view.)

Maiden Castle hill fort, seen from the air. Banks and ditches made the fort hard to attack, but the Romans captured it.

This modern picture shows how Maiden Castle may have looked, when people lived there

Bodicca

Queen Boudicca in John Opie's painting "Boadicea Haranguing the Britons"

Died circa AD 60 or 61, Brittania

Other names Boudicca, Boadicea, Buddug

Occupation Queen of the Iceni

Spouse(s) Prasutagus

Druids

Settlers in Britain The Romans invaded Britain in AD43. After that, for

400 years southern Britain was part of the Roman world. The last Roman soldiers left Britain in AD 410, and then new people came in ships across the North Sea. Historians call them Anglo-Saxons. The new settlers were a mixture of people from north Germany, Denmark and northern Holland. Most were Saxons, Angles and Jutes. There were some Franks and Frisians too. If we use the modern names for the countries they came from, the Saxons, Franks and Frisians were German-Dutch, the Angles were southern Danish, and Jutes were northern Danish.

How the Anglo-Saxons lived In their own lands, most Anglo-Saxons were farmers.

They lived in family groups in villages, not cities. Since they lived close to the sea and big rivers, many Anglo-Saxons were sailors too. They built wooden ships with oars and sails, for trade and to settle in new lands. Raiders in ships attacked Roman Britain.

Most people in Roman Britain were Christians. Most Anglo-Saxons were not Christians. They worshipped lots of gods and goddesses. Their beliefs were similar to those of the Celts, who lived in Britain before the Romans invaded.

New people came in ships across the North Sea. Historians call them Anglo-Saxons. The new settlers were a mixture of people from north Germany, Denmark and northern Holland. Most were Saxons, Angles and Jutes.

Roman soldiers built Hadrian's Wall 300 years before the Anglo-Saxons came. The Wall was no defence against invaders who came

across the sea.

The Roman walls of Portchester Castle in Hampshire. This was one of the 'shore forts' the Romans built to defend

Britain's coast against invaders.

This is how the Portchester Roman fort probably looked when the

Anglo-Saxons had it (AD 900s). It's a modern artist's painting.

This is what an Anglo-Saxon house was like. The people are modern but wearing 'Anglo-Saxon' clothes.