The ‘significant’ lost Roman town hidden near pretty Cambridgeshire village

There are many Roman remains across Cambridgeshire

Cambridgeshire is steeped in history, especially from Roman times. Across the county, there are many remains that prove Romans once settled here.

There are roads that still stand today that were created by the Romans, as well as remains of Roman buildings. There are also remains of former Roman towns.

While carrying out survey work for a solar farm, a hidden Roman town was discovered near Great Staughton. The town was located in a field, around 850m south of the village.

It extends across 75 acres, which is around 30 hectares. When it was discovered, archaeologists said the town’s buried features were well preserved.

A spokesperson for Homes England said it had “extensive streets” and “buildings of a highly organised Roman settlement of urban character”. Other features include ditches, pits and post holes, as well as grave surfaces that were used as roads or yard areas.

A number of artefacts were also discovered, including pottery, animal bone, glass, copper alloy objects, iron objects, coins, and shells. In 2024, the town was named as a scheduled monument.

At the time, Duncan Wilson of Historic England said this was “clearly a significant Roman town”. He added that the town gave a “remarkable insight into Roman life in the east of England”.

Great Staughton itself is a village steeped in other history. In the village, there is a sundial that dates back to 1637. This sundial has E.I carved into it, which is believed to be for Edmund Ibbutt. He was a major landowner in Great Staughton between 1630 and the 1660s.

The White Hart, which still stands today, is a 17th century coaching inn which is an important part of the village’s history. It was visited by Oliver Cromwell during the English Civil War.