The heart of both the Iron Age and Roman towns is where the administrative and religious buildings stood.
A new, rectilinear grid of gravelled streets was laid out in the later first century, and continued to be used throughout the life of the town. The town's main east–west street was the principal route to the West Country from London. It was lined with shops and workshops.
There would have been a second-century forum basilica complex, a great public building at the very centre of the town, which would have combined administrative and judicial roles (basilica) with a market function (forum). Next to the forum, was the site of a possible Christian church, while further beyond was a Romano-Celtic temple.
Disclaimer
The text and pictures on this page are derived from the 'Heritage Unlocked' series of guidebooks published in 2004. We intend to review, update and enhance the content in the near future as part of the Portico project, whose objective is to provide information on the history, significance, research background and sources for all English Heritage properties.
