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"Romanisation" of Britain - Handy Info for KS2 Students

Updated: Mar 27

When the Romans invaded Britain, they brought a lot of exciting new advances in buildings and technology with them. Find out about the Romanisation of Britain:




Historic Roman bath with green water, surrounded by stone columns and statues. Tourists observe from above. Ancient, tranquil setting.

Public Baths:


Where:

The Romans used Public Baths back in Rome. When they invaded they built them all over Britain too.


Uses:

Roman Public Baths were used to keep clean. They were also a good place to meet friends & catch up on gossip.


What were they like?:

Each Bath House had at least 3 rooms, each was heated to a different temperature a bit like a spa. They warmed these rooms using a clever underfloor heating system called a Hypocaust (see below).

Who used it?:

Everyone! The locals loved it just as much as the Romans.



Ancient cobblestone street in ruins with weathered stones and some grass. Sunlight casts shadows on the walls, creating a historic ambiance.

Roads:


Before the Romans:

The Celts travelled along muddy tracks or beside rivers


Why:

The Romans built roads so their armies could travel from place to place & conquer Britain faster


Construction:

They were built on layers of clay, chalk & gravel to cope with heavy usage & were sloped so water ran off the sides into ditches.

Did you know?:

Roman roads were straight so they could take the shortest route. There were stables and resting places at intervals along each road.



Ancient ruins with rows of brick pillars in a sunlit, stone-walled setting. Shadows cast on the ground, creating a historic atmosphere.

The Hypocaust:


What:

The Hypocaust is an underfloor heating system created by the Romans


How:

They laid the floor of buildings on top of pillars of tiles. Warm air from a furnace was then pumped through the gaps between these tiles to heat the floor.


Where:

In public bathhouses or expensive Villa mansions.


Did you know:

The floor in public baths would sometimes get so hot that you had to wear sandals to stop your feet from burning!



Further Reading:

Choose a History Topic:
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