Civilization reaches Britain The Iron Age Britons lived on small farms, or in hillforts. There were no towns. In the late Iron Age, some tribes had capitals, but these were little more than tribal villages. The Romans called them 'oppida' (plural of 'oppidum'). The Romans built proper towns with a planned street-grid and lots of different buildings, big and small: Town Houses - for people to live in, some for rich merchants Shops - for selling all sorts of things Workshops - for making all sorts of things Snack Bars - for eating in (Fast-food Roman style). Temples - for worshipping the gods (including churches in later times) Public Baths - for relaxing, exercising and keeping clean Inns - for people from out-of-town to stay in, including Imperial postmen Theatres & Amphitheatres - for entertainments from actors and gladiators. Camulodunum (Colchester) even had a circus (race track for horses). There were also 'mod-cons' never seen in Britain before, like piped water supplies, drinking fountains and toilets. Each of the major tribes was given civitas capital (like a county town) with a basilica (town hall and law court - the big building in the picture with all the windows) and a forum (market-place - the big courtyard with the colourful stalls next to the basilica). Other towns grew up around industrial establishments, important religious centres or outside military forts. In later years, big strong walls and gateways were built around towns to protect them from foreign attacks.
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