Farming
When the Romans first arrived in Britain in AD 43 they found scattered farms and settlements. Many of the cereal crops and farming techniques the Romans used had been used in the Late Iron Age.
Over time, the Romans developed large estates that were owned by important British people loyal to the Romans or Romans who had been in the army. Some were even owned by the emperor. Farmers could become very wealthy and build villas to live in at the centre of large villa estates.
What was farming like in Roman Britain?
Farming in Roman times was hard work. Annual tasks like digging and overturning soil, ploughing, sowing seed-corn, tending to the fields and harvesting the crops took a lot of effort throughout the year. Crops like grain had to be processed which included cleaning and preparing it for storage. The large number of horses, cattle, sheep and pigs in the countryside in Roman Britain also needed to be fed.
The Romans introduced lots of new crops and plants to Britain like peas, onions, cucumbers and plums. They also introduced herbs and spices like garlic, coriander and rosemary. New ideas about farming including new tools and new ways of breeding animals allowed the Romans to produce more food. Cattle was the most common farm animal and they were specially bred to be larger. This helped in pulling ploughs more effectively as well as providing more meat.
Activity Idea
GEOGRAPHY
Think about how you would organise your own Roman farm. Where should it be? What features would you need to have access to (e.g. water, flat land)? What kinds of animals and crops would you want to keep and grow?
Draw up a plan for your own farm with labels showing all of its important features. You can find out more about enclosed and unenclosed Roman farmsteads on our Farningham Romano-British Farmsteads page.