Wall of Venta Icenorum, Norfolk

This is the still impressive south rampart and wall of the Roman Town at Caister St Edmunds - called Venta Icenorum.

Venta is south of Norwich on the River Tas, which would have fed into the Great Estuary of East Norfolk - the area roughly of the Broads National Park which would have be estuary and marsh in the Roman era.

There is good evidence for a centre of the Iceni in this area. Following the Roman Invasion of 43AD the Iceni were collaborators, but revolted in 47 and were put down by Governor Scapula. They were allowed to keep their King Prasutagas and were Romain allies, protecting the Roman flank as they advanced across the lowland zone.

After Prasutagas' death and the violation of her daughters, his widow Boudicca rose in revolt in AD 60 and almost expelled the Romans from Britannia, sacking Colchester, London and St Albans before defeat. The Roman retaliation on the Iceni must have been very severe and there is evidence for a Roman fort on the site of Venta.

Some time in the 70s or 80s the Iceni were brought in from the cold and formed into a normal civitas with a capital constructed at Venta.

This expanded throughout the 2nd century, but at some time early in the third century it was felt necessary to contract the settled area and build strong defensive walls.

This is what has survived here.