If your kids are learning about the Romans, or if you’re coming to the UK on a family vacation, you might be thinking about taking a trip to some Roman ruins. But which?! There’s so many scattered throughout the country!
Having visited quite a few sites in our time, we’re here to tell you that you do NOT want to miss Wroxeter Roman Ruins! It’s a large site – though it’s set in idyllic countryside now, a bustling town used to be there 2000 years ago, but the focus of what you can see now is the remains of a Roman leisure centre! There are a number of huge column bases, which would have supported a big semi-enclosed area, and there are the foundations of numerous pools – complete with hypocaust underfloor heating for the warmer ones, which you can wander around at your leisure. The kids were highly amused to learn there was even an open air pool there once upon a time, but it was quickly filled in after only a few years due to lack of use! (Hooray for British weather!!!) We also found the bases of little bays for traders and stall holders to use, along the side of the main building, which the kids found interesting.
However, what makes the site so unique is that not only can you wander around the ruins of the leisure centre, there’s also a beautiful replica villa built using traditional Roman methods! Our kids were fascinated by this, as was I – it’s certainly not something you see every day, and really allowed you picture what the area might have looked like thousands of years ago! You can happily wander through the different rooms, and see all the construction methods used, and the “back garden” area is very pretty.
There’s a tiny, one-room museum attached to the entrance building, which holds items that have been excavated from the site, and tells you what things would have been like when it was a thriving town, and there’s plenty of signs around the site telling you what you’re looking at! There’s also a grassy area with handful of picnic benches near the entrance – perfect for eating lunch in unusual surroundings! The majority of the site would be accessible with an all-terrain style pushchair, but you’d likely struggle with a city type stroller. (Though obviously bear in mind that the nature of the site means that it wasn’t designed for pushchairs! There are odd steps and wonky bits!)
We really loved our time at Wroxeter Roman Ruins – it’s a fab and interesting family day out. The villa really brings history alive, and the ruins are impressive, and peaceful to wander around! We’ll definitely be going back for another look!
The important part – how to find them:
Wroxeter Roman City,
Wroxeter,
Nr Shrewsbury,
Shropshire,
SY5 6PH.
(For Sat Navs, use postcode SY5 6PJ). For current entrance rates and opening times, please check the English Heritage website.
A Different Way To Go 