A series of forts marked this border, linked by one of the earliest British Roman roads, Fosse Way.

Post 43AD, the Romans established the earliest post-conquest frontier in Britain between Exeter and Lincoln. But archaeology shows that Roman Leicester was one of the first cities in Roman Britain.īeginning with a fort, the Romans created Ratae Corieltauvorum, a city, complete with roads, industries, townhouses and public buildings to rival any other Roman town in Britain. The land that became Leicester was probably first settled by the Celts before being colonised by Saxon and Viking incomers. It is one of the oldest cities in Britain, situated at a nexus of roads and territories that made it strategically important to a variety of peoples. However, Leicester may be small, but it is by no means insignificant in historical terms. Many people felt that siting the last resting place of a King of England in what they viewed as a provincial town was inappropriate. More recently, the city has found itself firmly on the historical map with the rediscovery of the body of Richard III in 2012 and its controversial 2015 reburial.

Mention the city of Leicester in the UK, and what is the first thing that comes to mind? For some, it will be the city’s modern cultural diversity, while others might recall its hosiery industry.

Roman fort viking conquest