Ancient site · England · Partial ruin

Verulamium

Verulamium was a Roman municipium located southwest of modern St Albans in Hertfordshire. At its peak in the early 3rd century it covered roughly 125 acres and included defensive walls, a forum and basilica, houses with mosaics and hypocausts, and a theatre with a stage. Today much survives as excavated earthworks, visible stone foundations and unexcavated parkland, with many artefacts displayed in the Verulamium Museum.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

Its prime

AD 200

Today

Partial ruin

As it stood in AD 200

What Verulamium looked like in its prime.

Low rubble stone and flint foundations trace the footprints of streets and buildings across a sweep of grassy mounds and excavated trenches. A broad gravelled open square and the low outlines of stone building façades mark the forum; a single freestanding column rises near compact wall remains. A semicircular theatre bowl and a deep defensive ditch are visible as earthworks; tessellated mosaic floors and hypocaust channels survive in situ within a few exposed building plots.

Step inside

8 places to explore in AD 200.

The record describes 8 distinct spots at Verulamium, including 3 interiors: basilica (public hall) — exterior and hall, theatre — stage and seating bowl, house reception room with mosaic and hypocaust. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more photos, more angles and more of the immersive experience.

Approach from Verulamium Park / museum edgeForum (open square)Basilica (public hall) — exterior and hallTheatre — stage and seating bowlHouse reception room with mosaic and hypocaustCity wall and defensive ditchWatling Street as it passes through townRoman cemetery outside the city walls

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