Roman London

On Monday we traveled along the central line to the financial district in the City of London.  A borough in its own right, the City of London is a very cool place and distinguishes itself from the rest of the city, especially Westminster.  After a fair bit of walking, we found our destination. We were welcomed inside a rather normal looking building. One would think nothing of it if they just walked past along the street.  However, our guide and site manager opened our eyes to the world of London nearly two thousand years ago. He transported us back to the City of London as it was known then: Londinium. Londinium was a Roman city, formed after the conquest in the early years AD.  He showed us a map of what the city would have looked like, superimposed over a map of the modern city. This bit was important and interesting as it gave a modern context to a piece of geographical history. He also explained how some roads even to this day wind around old Roman sites, as its large buildings formed major obstacles for roadways.  

Down below sat the ruins of a mansion and bathhouse.  The mansion was supposedly ‘U’ shaped but evidence has only found it to be in an ‘L’ shape.  It was presumed to have two to three floors and it faced the river, as it sat just above its shores.  Because of its size and view, it is inferred that this house belonged to someone of high status; a family of celebrity within Londinium perhaps, or a wealthy family.  Regardless, the people who lived there were well off. Some years later, as the river wall was being built, the family (or current occupants of the house) decided to build a bathhouse in their courtyard.  The bathhouse was quite big and could accommodate many in its three chambers: one hot, one warm, and one cold. The foundations for these rooms was evident in the basement of the building. We walked above them, viewing them from up high.  We could even see where slaves would likely tend the fires to keep the water steaming. We saw the box floos that kept the steam circulating throughout. After finishing the tour, we walked back through London and found our way to the Guildhall, where, in its basement, we saw the remains of the Roman Amphitheater.  These remains were far less intricate than those of the bathhouse but putting them both in perspective on a walkable map gave me insight into how big Roman influence was in London and Britain as a whole.  (see pictures)