Viroconium - Wroxeter

Viroconium Cornoviorum is a ruined Roman town located at Wroxeter, close to Shrewsbury in Shropshire.

Viroconium was established around 58AD for the 14th and 20th legions as a fortress. It was used as a base during the Roman invasion of Wales. The military abandoned the fort around 88AD and the civilian settlement around the fort soon took it over and expanded exponentially until it is believed to have been the forth largest settlement in Britain.

After the Romans left Britain, the town was still in use but slowly fell into disrepair, although, while other villas and towns were being abandoned by the mid to late 6th century, the town enjoyed a brief renaissance. Thirty three new buildings were built over a span of about 75 years. Again the town fell into disrepair until it was abandoned in the late 7th and early 8th century.

In 1859 parts of the town were excavated, and opened to the general public. Today it is now in the care of English Heritage. hese include the Old Work, which is an archway belonging to the frigidarium, remains of a bath complex as well as old roads and even part of the forum. A reconstructed Roman villa was opened to the public in 2011. Most of the town is still buried but has been mapped using geophysics and aerial archaeology.