A Walk around LONDINIUM

London is packed full of stories and tales - and the Romans were instrumental to the city's origins.

It is generally agreed that at around AD50 (some believe the date to be AD47) the Romans created a city next to the Thames and called it Londinium. For some 350 years it this was the largest city in Britannia, and it served as a vital international port. 

Londinium was established as a civilian town by the Romans about four years after the invasion of AD43. As was the case with Rome, the city was founded on the point of a river where it was narrow enough to build a bridge. The strategic location of the city provided good access to continental Europe. 

Early Roman Londinium was a relatively small area, about the size of Hyde Park (but to be clear, it was not on the site of Hyde Park). In around AD60, it was destroyed by the Iceni tribe, led by their queen, Boudica (the Romans would have their revenge later). The city was quickly rebuilt as a planned Roman town and recovered after perhaps 10 years; the city grew rapidly over the following decades. 

By around AD120, it is estimated that Londinium had a population of some 45,000 people. However, it would be abandoned by the Romans in the 5th century and it would take some time to see what we now call London revived.

A general overview about Roman Londinium is available on the Roman Londinium information page of this website.

The London Histories Roman Londinium Walk summarised below includes London Wall in parts. Various ways to experience London Wall are made available by others - such as this one and also this one.

The City of London Corporation provides its own Roman London Walking Map, which has some similarities to the London Histories Roman Londinium Walk whilst not being entirely the same. Their map webpage is available here.

If you want to go on a professional London guided walking tour, check the options available from the teams at London Walks, London Guided Walks and Look Up London Walks. They all offer some great guided tours of London of various types, which are typically packed with lots of information.

Roman archaeology in London background information

An example of Roman archaeology findings from the City is available here.

A further example of Roman archaeology of London is available here.

A few books that may be of interest to read: 

• Roman London (Jenny Hall & Ralph Merrifield)
• Life in Roman London (Simon Webb)
• Londinium (John Morris)

The London Histories Roman Londinium Walk includes some key points that are summarised below. More details are provided during the Walk.