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Watch a film of a typical school visit to Buxton Museum and Art Gallery

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Watch a film of a typical school visit to Buxton Museum and Art Gallery

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A School Visit at Buxton Museum and Art Gallery

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Teacher's  - Planning Your Visit Guidance

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Teacher's  - Planning Your Visit Guidance

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Money

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Jewellery

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A guide to the Everyday Roman Life Object Handling Box, including suggested focus activities.

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Roman Clothes and Games Object Handling Box

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Roman Clothes and Games Object Handling Box

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A guide to the Roman Clothes and Games Object Handling Box, including suggested focus activities.

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FINAL Roman Clothes and Games Handling Box

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A guide to the the Roman Potter Object Handling Box, including suggested focus activities.

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Black and British  - An illustrated history by David Olusoga

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Black and British  - An illustrated history by David Olusoga

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Includes information about Roman Africans guarding Hadrian's Wall. Every Key Stage 2 classroom should have one!

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This beautiful hardback gift book is a stunning visual journey through Black British history for younger readers by award-winning historian and broadcaster David Olusoga and illustrated by Jake Alexander and Melleny Taylor. The essential starting place for anyone who wants to learn about Black British History. David Olusoga's thought provoking text charts the forgotten histories of Black people in Britain from Roman times right through to the present day.

From Roman Africans guarding Hadrian's Wall, to an African trumpeter in the court of Henry the Eighth, Black Georgians fighting for the abolition of slavery, Black soldiers fighting for Britain in the First World War, Windrush and right up today. These are the stories that brought us all together in this country. When did Africans first come to Britain? Who are the well-dressed black children in Georgian paintings? Why did the American Civil War disrupt the Industrial Revolution? These and many other questions are answered in this essential introduction to 1800 years of the Black British history.

This children's edition of the bestseller Black and British: A Forgotten History is beautifully illustrated in full-colour with maps, portrait galleries, timelines, photos and portraits.

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Black and British: An Illustrated History by David Olusoga

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This beautiful hardback gift book is a stunning visual journey through Black British history for younger readers by award-winning historian and broadcaster David Olusoga and illustrated by Jake Alexander and Melleny Taylor. The essential starting place for anyone who wants to learn about Black British History. David Ol

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Empire's End - A Roman Story by Leila Rasheed

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Empire's End - A Roman Story by Leila Rasheed

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From the Voices series - "a collection of gripping adventures that reflect the authentic, unsung stories of our past." Published by Scholastic

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Empire’s End - A Roman Story from the Voices series offers many opportunities for developing knowledge of the Romans, along with ways to build empathy.

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Opening times and admission prices. How to find us. Facilities and general information.

Further details on making Ely Museum accessible to everyone

Ely Museum offers a range of different workshops covering many historical periods and age ranges.

Our Loan boxes are a great addition to the classroom with real and replica objects covering a wide range of historical topics.

Planning a visit? Here is all the information you need.

Get in contact with our Learning Officer for more information or to book a visit.

Volunteers are an integral part of the museum team. Even if you only have a few hours a week, you could join our team.

Ely Museum relies on donations and support from the public to continue our work and widen our collections.

The staff and trustees of Ely Museum would like to thank our supporters who have helped the museum become what it is today

The Friends Organisation is a great way to support the museum while receiving a variety of benefits.

Find out the latest news and updates from Ely Museum.

Sign Up to our newsletter to get the latest information straight to your email.

Ely Museum was founded in 1972. Find out more about the organisation's history here.

Ely Museum is located in the Old Gaol dating back to the 13th century.

Find out more about our galleries and what you will see when visiting.

Need to get into contact? Click here for all the contact details you will need.

A quick and easy form if you need to get in contact with us.

You can book the Aedwen Room at Ely Museum. Click here to find out more.

Information about job vacancies at Ely Museum.

Opening times and admission prices. How to find us. Facilities and general information.

Further details on making Ely Museum accessible to everyone

Ely Museum offers a range of different workshops covering many historical periods and age ranges.

Our Loan boxes are a great addition to the classroom with real and replica objects covering a wide range of historical topics.

Planning a visit? Here is all the information you need.

Get in contact with our Learning Officer for more information or to book a visit.

Volunteers are an integral part of the museum team. Even if you only have a few hours a week, you could join our team.

Ely Museum relies on donations and support from the public to continue our work and widen our collections.

The staff and trustees of Ely Museum would like to thank our supporters who have helped the museum become what it is today

The Friends Organisation is a great way to support the museum while receiving a variety of benefits.

Find out the latest news and updates from Ely Museum.

Sign Up to our newsletter to get the latest information straight to your email.

Ely Museum was founded in 1972. Find out more about the organisation's history here.

Ely Museum is located in the Old Gaol dating back to the 13th century.

Find out more about our galleries and what you will see when visiting.

Need to get into contact? Click here for all the contact details you will need.

A quick and easy form if you need to get in contact with us.

You can book the Aedwen Room at Ely Museum. Click here to find out more.

Information about job vacancies at Ely Museum.

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Opening times and admission prices. How to find us. Facilities and general information. Further details on making Ely Museum accessible to everyone Ely Museum offers a range of different workshops covering many historical periods and age ranges. Our Loan boxes are a great addition to the classroom with real and replica objects covering a wide range of historical topics.

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What did the Romans do for Britain? 2 minute animation

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What did the Romans do for Britain? 2 minute animation

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Just how much of today's Britain has been influenced by the Romans? Many of our buildings and how they are heated, the way we get rid of our sewage, the roads we use, some of our wild animals, religion, the words and language we speak, how we calculate distances, numbers and why we use money to pay for goods were all introduced by the Romans.

Children could research an area from the animation, before presenting their findings to the class. An end of term topic assembly could include all the group's findings to celebrate their learning to parents. The class could compare imperial measurements with those used by the Romans. Children could research words that have Roman origins. For a challenge, can the children write a story which includes as many of these as possible, or even try to write a sentence in Latin with its translation. Roman architecture could be researched to create junk models of Roman buildings.

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What did the Romans do for us? - KS2 History - BBC Bitesize

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Just how much of today's Britain has been influenced by the Romans? Many of our buildings and how they are heated, the way we get rid of our sewage, the roads we use, some of our wild animals, religion, the words and language we speak, how we calculate distances, numbers and why we use money to pay for goods were all introduced by the Romans.

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Essential reading - aimed at children aged 9 plus, includes information about multiculturally diverse Roman society.

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English Heritage Painting Our Past - The African Diaspora in England Learning Pack 

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English Heritage Painting Our Past - The African Diaspora in England Learning Pack 

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Includes images and information about Emperor Septimius Severus

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Ten thing the Romans introduced to Britain

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Ten thing the Romans introduced to Britain

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From the obvious (architecture and hygiene) to the more unusual (fast food and advertising) the Romans have left their mark across the country.

We asked two of our experts, English Heritage Properties Curator Mark Douglas and Curator of Roman Collections Frances McIntosh, to explain more about what things in modern Britain that we owe to the influence of the Roman Empire.

"The Romans were great trend-setters of the ancient world - what they didn't invent they copied and adapted from others, transporting new ideas across the empire," explains Mark. "Their impact can be seen across England, from Dover to Hadrian's Wall and beyond, and has had a profound impact on our modern landscape and culture."

1. Fast Food

It might seem a modern marvel, but the Romans were the first to introduce street stalls and 'food on the move' as we might think of it today. With 10,000 soldiers in Britain, based at forts such as Birdoswald, having access to tasty, convenient food ( like burgers...) was vitally important and vendors serving fast food would have been commonplace in large towns. The Romans also introduced staple foods such as apples, pears and peas to Britain.

2. Advertising and Trademarks

The modern concepts of Public Relations, Marketing and Advertising can all trace their roots back to the Romans. Traders would advertise their wares with billboards and signs, while self-promotion was a major concern to the emperor and who proclaimed his military victories on his coins. Potters would often stamp their vessels with their name, a mark of quality.

3. Plumbing and Sanitation

Keeping towns and forts clean through drainage and access to fresh water was a new concept to Britain. At the root of sanitation was the great engineering works of the Romans, with aqueducts bringing water in and drains to keep the streets and houses clean. The remains of Roman toilets and bath complexes can be seen across the forts of Hadrian's Wall, especially at Chesters and Housesteads.

4. Towns

Large settlements existed in Britain before the Romans arrived, but they were the first to introduce significant 'towns' and administrative centres, which were planned out.

Londinium, Aqua Sulis (Bath) and Lindum colonia (Lincoln) are all examples of Romans towns that still exist as modern towns, whilst Coria ( Corbridge) and Isurium Brigantium ( Aldborough) are Roman towns you can visit today.

5. Architecture

From military structures such as forts and walls (including the spectacular Hadrian's Wall) to engineering feats such as baths and aqueducts, the most obvious impact of the Romans that can still be seen today is their buildings. Most buildings in Iron Age Britain were made of timber and were often round in form. The Romans built in stone, in straight lines and in a grand scale. Just imagine the bridge at Chesters when it was complete, spanning the river.

6. Roads

Everyone knows the secret to a Roman road - build wide and straight, often with paved streets. Constructing reliable transport routes was a necessity of such an expansive empire, and a huge upgrade on the primitive routes that came before in Britain. Many, such as Watling Street (the A2 and A5) and Dere Street (A59 and A1 from York) still form the basis of routes used today.

7. Our Calendar

The Julian calendar was the first to consist of 365 days, along with a leap year every four years. It forms the basis of the Gregorian calendar we use today. The names of the months derive from Roman months, reflecting the important Roman impact on our modern diaries. This is most obvious for July and August, which are named after the early rulers Julius Caesar and Emperor Augustus.

8. Currency

Although some of the tribes in the South of England produced coins before the Romans arrived, it was not used as currency, to purchase things. The Romans brought in their own coinage, which was the same across the Empire. A denarius minted in Rome could be spent in Britain, North Africa or Turkey, such a global currency has not been seen since.

9. Latin

The introduction of Latin had a profound impact on words and language within Britain. Latin became the language of religion, law and administration, and a great many modern words still derive from this language.

Did you know that plumbing is called this because the Romans made their pipes out of lead ( plumbum)? Or that the Latin word sinister meant left, which the Romans considered to be bad-luck.

10. Bureaucracy

The introduction of writing to Britain had a huge impact on our understanding of the history. Being great record keepers has left a wealth of information about life in Roman Britain. The army in particular was extremely bureaucratic and rotas, food orders and stock checks of weapons, could be filled out in triplicate!

Join us for Hadrian's Wall Live 2016

On Sat 3 & Sun 4 September 2016, the Roman empire will return to Hadrian's Wall at one of England's most epic events. Over one weekend at Housesteads and Birdoswald you'll see armies clashing and gladiators in hand-to-hand combat and walk with Roman legionaires on marches.

Tickets are available now - join us for:

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10 Things The Romans Did For Us - English Heritage Blog

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From the obvious (architecture and hygiene) to the more unusual (fast food and advertising) the Romans have left their mark across the country. We asked two of our experts, English Heritage Properties Curator Mark Douglas and Curator of Roman Collections Frances McIntosh, to explain more about what things in modern Britain that we owe to the influence of the Roman Empire.

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In 1979 a hoard of coins was uncovered during restoration work to the Minerals Baths in Buxton. The coins reflected over 300 years of Roman history – and with it the story of Roman Buxton.
The Secrets of the Buxton Coin Hoard (wondersofthepeak.org.uk)

Full Record (wondersofthepeak.org.uk)

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Head pots (sometimes also known as face pots) were widely used throughout Roman Britain and are some of the most striking ceramic items produced during Roman rule and seem to have been a speciality of Romano-British potters.

The rough and somewhat comical features of these objects were modelled by hand on pottery wheels. Although the hair styles and features shown on the pots are accepted as being Roman, the pots themselves seem to be almost entirely limited to Britain and have a distinctly Celtic look.

Their function and importance are unknown as they have been found in a variety of locations including burials, Roman forts and in household environments.
What would you store in yours, where would you keep it and would you model it after someone?

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Head pots (sometimes also known as face pots) were widely used throughout Roman Britain and are some of the most striking ceramic items produced during Roman rule and seem to have been a speciality of Romano-British potters. The rough and somewhat comical features of these objects were modelled by hand on pottery wheels.

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What is it?

Samian Ware, or Terra Sigillata, is basically fancy Roman tableware. It is the most commonly used high quality pottery from Roman Britain.

Where was it made?

Roman Samian pottery found in Britain was mainly made in the southern, central and eastern areas of Gaul (France). Romano-British Samian was also produced in places such as Colchester, however the clay was inferior and not popular, and production did not last long.

When was it made?

The majority found on British sites was produced between the first and second century, with East Gaulish Samian being produced into the third century.

Where is it found?

Samian can be found anywhere in Britain including on sites to the north of the official province in northern Britain.

What does it look like?

Samian is fine, hard, red-gloss wares - the colour coming from the mineral illite in the clay. There is also black Samian. Some are plain, and some are decorated with various images/patterns such as animals, gods, gladiators, mythical beasts, flowers and foliage. They are found in varying sizes and designs, or forms, including bowls, dishes and cups. They were first classified by a scholar called Dragendorff in 1895 who identified 55 main forms, more forms have been added since then by others.

A collection of samian sherds from the 2018 excavation
How is it made?

Plain Samian is wheel thrown then dipped by hand in to the slip before being fired in kilns. Decorated Samian is made from a mould. The clay is pressed into the mould, set on a wheel, the bowl is drawn up, dried and then shrinks off the mould. Next the base is added, dipped in slip, dried then placed in the kiln.

Who made it?

We can tell who made the pottery or the moulds by looking for maker's stamps.

On plain vessels they are usually found on the centre of the base (see image below). The name stamps are pressed in to the bowl before it was fired to indicate who made it or their employer. Decorated vessels may have two makers marks. One is the mould maker's name which was put on the actual mould as an advertisement stamp in amongst the decoration (see image below). On the mould it is the correct way but appears backwards on the vessel. They may also have a hand-written signature by who made the pottery, usually below the decoration.

Samian Ware can be dated pretty accurately by looking at the stamps, as certain makers worked at certain times. It is also a useful tool in dating buildings or contexts on the excavations.

Our Collection

Latest

24 January - 23 September 2022
Join us in celebrating 1900 years of Hadrian's Wall with our 1900 Bunting Challenge. Create by knitting, crocheting or sewing the shield design bunting flags to help us reach our target of 1900 bunting flags to be displayed at Roman Vindolanda in October 2022.

28 March - 23 September 2022
Roman Vindolanda Fort
The Vindolanda Roman excavations are back for 2022. The archaeologists and their teams of volunteers will be out Mon - Fri weather permitting. See history as it is uncovered.

1 May - 6 June 2022
Roman Army Museum
See the Roman Army Museum decorated with roses to commemorate Rosalia the festival of the rose, an ancient Roman festival particularly special to the Roman soldiers.

8th January - 6th February
Site Only Tours
Make the most of your visit to Vindolanda by joining one of our daily 11am free guided tours, though our museums are closed the site will be open!

Related

Most read

A beautifully carved sandstone relief which depicts a naked male figure holding a spear stood in front of a horse/donkey has been uncovered during the annual excavations at the Roman fort of Vindolanda near Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland. Read more

In our Museum at Vindolanda we have an almost complete dinner set of Samian Ware which was imported from the famous La Graufesenque potteries (near the modern French town of Millau at the southern end of the Gorges du Tarn). Using the potters stamps we have dated this collection to the late AD80s. The pottery had been broken in transit and was thrown, unused, into the ditch of the fort.

Imagine how disappointing it would be to finally get your delivery only for it to be broken!

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Pottery is something we find in great quantities at Vindolanda during each excavation season - usually into the tens of thousands of sherds per year. A volunteer excavator is almost guaranteed to find some when they are here. The types of pottery we find vary in origin, manufacture, size, shape, material, colour, design and decoration.

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Food and Drink Brought to Britain by the Romans

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Food and Drink Brought to Britain by the Romans

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Description Classroom Ideas

Description

Adam Hart-Davis introduces the development of the Roman era. Adam follows a Roman recipe to create a hamburger and talks about the foods that the Romans introduced to Britain such as turnips, apples, pears, celery, carrots, asparagus, grapes and wine. The Roman words for these foods are also shown. Adam recreates the process of making wine using traditional Roman tools. A historian uses real animal body parts to recreate typical Roman food using liver, pig's gut and salmon.

This clip is from :

Food

First broadcast :

18 October 2003

Classroom Ideas

After watching the clip, pupils should be able to identify foods that were introduced to Britain by the Romans, and how Roman food was different to that of the Celts who lived here before the Roman invasion. They might discuss how Roman food is similar, and how it is different to the food they eat today. Is the first recipe really like a hamburger? They might then research which foods were introduced to Britain by, for example the Tudors (tomatoes, potatoes, chocolate), the Victorians (tropical foods especially) and by recent immigrants to Britain. Finally they should try to decide, from a food point of view, which would be the best period of history to live in, apart from today. Children can research Roman recipes and create a class cookbook. Children can research and find the Roman words for foods we eat today. Can the children spot any words we use today?

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Food and drink brought to Britain by the Romans - KS2 History - BBC Bitesize

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Description Classroom Ideas Description Adam Hart-Davis introduces the development of the Roman era. Adam follows a Roman recipe to create a hamburger and talks about the foods that the Romans introduced to Britain such as turnips, apples, pears, celery, carrots, asparagus, grapes and wine. The Roman words for these foods are also shown.

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It's just over three years since we built the replica Roman Pottery Kiln and began running pottery Workshops at Vindolanda Roman Fort and Museum, near to Hadrians Wall. I feel so privileged to work with the team at this amazing site it's proved to be a wonderfully fruitful collaboration. The kiln was built and has been fired and maintained with the help of a very enthusiastic team of Vindolanda volunteers. The kiln which is now a permanent feature of the museum, is sited in the valley, beside the burn, near to the museum and visitor centre, so look out for it next time you're there.

This fully functional replica of a Roman up-draft pottery kiln, is based on information gained from the excavation of such kilns at archaeological sites across the North of England.

The body of the kiln itself (1) is constructed entirely from a mixture of materials found on site, Clay, Earth and plant matter such as straw. The internal kiln chamber floor and central support, (2 & see below) also known as Kiln Furniture, are made from specially selected clay which will survive repeated exposure to high temperatures.

While the kiln is cold, dry, raw pots are packed into the Ware Chamber (3) and the top of the kiln is closed off with a temporary dome of clay and straw (4),

leaving small holes as exit flues. A small fire is then lit in the Fire Box (5) allowing hot gasses and flames to pass through into the combustion chamber (6) then up through the ware chamber. Starting slowly and steadily building up the fire the the pots are brought up to a temperature of between 800 and 1000 degrees Centigrade.

The first firing took many hours of constant stoking as we not only needed to fire the pots, but to dry out the structure of the kiln itself. Nevertheless we achieved a temperature of between 700 & 800 degrees Centigrade, hot enough to fire the kiln load which included two amphorae. In subsequent firings we have always topped 900 C in six to eight hours, and on one occasion measured 1100 C at the bottom of the pack.

We have fired it to achieve both oxidised firings and heavily reduced black and grey ware firings, on every occasion with a loss rate of well below 5%.

This type of kiln would have been used by potters working in this region, to manufacture coarse wares such as Black Burnished Ware and Gray Ware cooking pots, indented bakers, plates, bowls, flagons and the like. While fine wares such as Samian Ware, Terra Sigillata and the Aphorae that carried produce around the empire, would have been imported from production sites in Gaul and elsewhere in the Roman World.

Vindolanda is waking up again after it's enforced COVID-19 SLEEP and we are aiming to resume running regular hands-on, Roman pottery workshops there as soon as it's safe to do so. Where you will be able to learn the techniques and skills that went into making the ceramics of the Roman Empire. Workshops and courses will include: Kiln Building & Firing; Samian Ware; Barbotine Ware; Black Burnished Ware; Lamps & Goddesses; The Potters' Wheel, Roman Head Pots. For more information on these workshops, follow me on Twitter @PottedHistory or email me [email protected]

Visit my website at www.potted-history.co.uk

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Roman Pottery Kiln Replica at Vindolanda Roman Fort

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It's just over three years since we built the replica Roman Pottery Kiln and began running pottery Workshops at Vindolanda Roman Fort and Museum, near to Hadrians Wall. I feel so privileged to work with the team at this amazing site it's proved to be a wonderfully fruitful collaboration.

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The coin hoard from Reynard's Cave has late Iron Age coins with Roman coins, although the coins pre-date the Roman invasion of Britain in 43 BCE.

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Edited by discoveringbritain ( Discovering Britain) | Added on

Pause where you can see the natural arch of Reynard's Cave. To find out how it formed we need to travel back to the end of the last Ice Age, around 10,000 years ago, when glacial meltwater swelled the Dove into a powerful torrent. Icy waters cut down through fissures and faults in the rock like a knife through butter. The vertical crags and pinnacles we can see from here are harder bands of limestone that the water could not cut through, but just how did these natural caves and arches form?

Limestone has many joints and cracks. When acidic rainwater trickles into these joints, it dissolves and widens them into underground drainage systems, including tunnels, caves and caverns. As the river cut down through the limestone it intercepted some of these secret tunnels and caves, opening them up for the first time. Reynard's Cave is the remnant of just such an old cavern, exposed as the Dove cut down through the limestone.

Round the corner from the arch is Reynard's Kitchen - the home of some of our prehistoric ancestors. A hoard of late Iron Age and pre-Conquest Roman coins, said to be the most significant find of its kind in Britain, was found here in 2014. The cave is thought to have been named either after a local brigand who made it his refuge or for its use by foxes as a den.

Return to the path and continue along the dale. It soon narrows to the section known as The Straits. Here the footpath has been raised on wooden duckboards above the level of the river, which is often subject to flooding at this point. The path passes directly under the Lion's Head Rock and then the dale opens out slightly where a footbridge crosses to Ilam Roc k

This text was originally developed by Roly Smith for Discovering Britain. Created by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), the Discovering Britain website features over 350 walks and viewpoints which explore the stories of Britain's landscapes.
www.discoveringbritain.org
Roly Smith is a keen walker and the author of over 90 books on the British countryside. He has been recently described as one of Britain's most knowledgeable countryside writers.

Thanks are also due to Dan Seagrave for use of his photograph of Dovedale and Thorpe Cloud (CC BY-NC 2.0 via Flickr).

Dovedale is managed and cared for by the National Trust.
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ilam-park-dovedale-and-the-white-peak/features/visiting-dovedale

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Edited by discoveringbritain ( Discovering Britain) | Added on Pause where you can see the natural arch of Reynard's Cave. To find out how it formed we need to travel back to the end of the last Ice Age, around 10,000 years ago, when glacial meltwater swelled the Dove into a powerful torrent.

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Become the face of the emperor on your very own Roman coin!

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Become the face of the emperor on your very own Roman coin!

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Create your own Roman Coin (romanbaths.co.uk)

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Roman gold coins found in St Albans field - BBC News

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Roman gold coins found in St Albans field - BBC News

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A "nationally significant" stash of Roman gold coins has been found by a man with a metal detector in Hertfordshire.

The discovery, on private land north of St Albans, is believed to be one of the largest Roman gold coin finds in the UK.

The identity of the man who found the coins is not being revealed.

Yvonne Hall reports.

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A "nationally significant" stash of Roman gold coins has been found by a man with a metal detector in Hertfordshire. The discovery, on private land north of St Albans, is believed to be one of the largest Roman gold coin finds in the UK.

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Waterlogged conditions on the Thames waterfront and in the Walbrook river valley (recently featured in the Secret Rivers exhibition at Museum of London Docklands) have created the oxygen-free environment needed for the survival of ancient organic artefacts.

Around 3,500 objects have been found, many of them extremely well preserved. However, until recently very little of the Roman leatherwork from London had been studied or published. Recently, a project was undertaken to catalogue and reinterpret around 750 objects in the Museum of London's collection of material, excavated from the 19th century to the 1970s.

89% of this material is footwear. This is typical of Roman sites, where tough vegetable tanned shoe leather is better preserved than the more fragile leather used in furniture, tents or clothing. The introduction of vegetable tanned leather and the expansion of ironworking were some of the major technological innovations of the Roman period; allowing the mass production of sturdy, hobnailed shoes. As a disposable form of fashion, leather footwear soon became a key part of the growing materialism of the Roman period. London's Roman leather is therefore a vital resource for studying technological and social change in the period.

A shoe for every occasion

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These boots were made for Romans | Museum of London

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What can we learn about the residents of Roman Londinium by studying their shoes?

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Melandra: First impressions of a Roman Soldier 

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Melandra: First impressions of a Roman Soldier 

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Exploring Melandra, a Roman fort at Gamesley, Glossop.
You can see objects from the fort on display at Buxton Museum and Art Gallery, Terrace Road, Buxton.

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Can you help Porto? Wonders of the Peak worksheet

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Can you help Porto? Wonders of the Peak worksheet

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Type the name of a place or an address in the box and press 'Enter' to see if a Wonder is nearby.

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Type the name of a place or an address in the box below and press ‘Enter’ to see if a Wonder is nearby.

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The year is 110 AD, Trajan is emperor of Rome, Britain is well within the grip of the Roman Empire. In the Peak District the Romans flock to the small town of Aquae Arnemetiae, now modern Buxton, for the healing quality of its natural springs.

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Edited by DanielDeaville | Added on

The year is 110 AD, Trajan is emperor of Rome, Britain is well within the grip of the Roman Empire. In the Peak District the Romans flock to the small town of Aquae Arnemetiae, now modern Buxton, for the healing quality of its natural springs. On the outskirts a small farmstead is thriving on the limestone scarp of Staden.

Along the path leading to Colt Croft there were numerous paddocks, kilns, and small Roman houses. This was the Roman farm at Staden. To the rear of Colt Croft, further along the path, lie the Romano-British fields. This small slither of land was once an extremely fertile piece of farmland in an area of otherwise extremely acidic soil. They practiced mixed farming, meaning they produced both grains as well as herded cattle and occasionally hunted local deer.

Numerous quernstones were found across the site, these were used for grinding grain into flour for making bread. The remains of many livestock animals such as cows and pigs were found across the site, some even found within the remains of the hearth within the Roman house - so we even know what they ate for lunch!

The Roman farming business was highly profitable, which is shown by the presence of luxury items. Fragments of glassware were found, these glass vessels likely held expensive oils or perfumes. Jewellery such as brooches and rings were also discovered in the Roman house - which was not far from the path you're on. Fragments of wine amphora were also found.

The Romans were also potty about pottery, which is shown in the various examples found at the site. Some is typical to the Peak District and the East Midlands such as Derbyshire ware, others such as Samian ware originated in Roman Gaul - or the present day south of France. Black Burnished ware was also found.

We were able to date the site from the typology of the pottery, but also from a Mortarium fragment - a type of grinding pot. The Mortarium was stamped with a potters mark, the name of Septuminus, a potter from Chester (or Roman Deva) which dates the context to around 110-130 AD.

Even in a small farmhouse, the Romans didn't let the cold winter Peak District climate get them down - they simply installed a hypocaust heating system.

To find out more about the excavations and archaeological material from Staden why not read the excavators final report?

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Edited by DanielDeaville | Added on The year is 110 AD, Trajan is emperor of Rome, Britain is well within the grip of the Roman Empire. In the Peak District the Romans flock to the small town of Aquae Arnemetiae, now modern Buxton, for the healing quality of its natural springs.

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Lots of evidence for the Roman presence in Buxton has been discovered in this part of town. There may have been a fort here, alongside a civilian settlement.

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Edited by David Carmichael | Added on

You should be standing by the 'Silverlands' street sign. Lots of evidence for the Roman presence in Buxton has been discovered in this part of town. There may have been a fort here, alongside a civilian settlement.

In 1862 the oldest inscribed milestone in Derbyshire was found at Silverlands - left behind by the Romans. The inscription reads 'TRIB POT COS II P P A NAVIONE M P XI' which translates as 'WITH TRIBUNICIAN POWER, TWICE CONSUL, FATHER OF THIS COUNTRY, FROM NAVIO 11 MILES'. The name of the tribune who decrees that it is eleven miles to the Roman fort at Navio is missing from the inscription.

During the development of housing on Holker Road in 1903, the time-worn floors of a number of buildings were discovered. Excavation of these ruins uncovered a silver coin, tiles, leather sandals, gritstone hearths and over five hundred fragments of Samian pottery (favoured by the Roman elite).

It seems there was a wealthy 'Romanised' community here at Silverlands almost 2,000 years ago. Were they attracted to settle here by the sacred springs?

Two pieces of the pottery discovered bear the inscribed marks of the potters who made them: One was made by Albinus between 60 - 90 CE, the other by Doinus between 70-100 CE. Both pieces originated from St Albans - known as Verulamium under Roman rule.

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Edited by David Carmichael | Added on You should be standing by the 'Silverlands' street sign. Lots of evidence for the Roman presence in Buxton has been discovered in this part of town. There may have been a fort here, alongside a civilian settlement.

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Finds suggest that a bronze-smith was working from the cave during the Roman occupation, supplying the soldiers on leave from the front lines of the Roman invasion with trinkets and jewellery.

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Why not explore Buxton Museum and Art Gallery online!

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Buxton Museum and Art Gallery virtual visits - Derbyshire County Council

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Why not explore Buxton Museum and Art Gallery online! You can visit parts of our museum from the comfort of your own computer.

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Buxton Museum and Art Gallery proudly introduces Wonders of the Peak. Visit this FREE web app from any device to discover museum collections and stories throughout the Peak District and Derbyshire.

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Our “Wonders” are stories and facts collated by our staff and volunteers, all linked to locations out in the landscape of the Peak District and Derbyshire.

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To search through the Wonders, type a word or phrase into the box below then press Enter.

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Put on your hat and find your trowel (even in the comfort of your own armchair). Let's go dig.

Explore our collections and make your own museum.

Where will you dig?

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Use the clues and unscramble the letters to reveal 6 items that belong to a Roman Soldier