Exploring Somerset, England, before Rome
3Somerset the county containing some of the most celebrated Roman remains in Britain. The legions arrived in the county AD 43, dramatically storming its Iron Age hillforts before conquering the rest of the county. Roman Somerset stretched from the wilds of Exmoor to the cosmopolitan bustle of Aquae Sulis, or Bath, whose baths and temples brought the city its wealth. As military occupation gave way to peaceful settlement Somerset enjoyed a golden age. A network of new roads criss-crossed the county, carrying lead from the Mendips, building stone, salt from Levels - as well as the produce and livestock for which Somerset was famed. Richly decorated county villas dotted the landscape. Towns and villages flourished. Much of Somerset's Roman legacy remains, providing a fascinating insight into a way of life that only ended when Roman rule was withdrawn.