"Romanisation" of Britain - Handy Info for KS2 Students
Updated: Feb 10, 2023
When the Romans invaded Britain, they brought a lot of exciting new advances in buildings and technology with them. Find out what the Romans brought to Britain:
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.
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.
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:
