THE Romans under Julius Caesar arrived in Britain in 55 BC to teach the Britons a lesson after they had joined with the Gauls (French) to fight Rome. However fierce resistance on the beaches – presaging Churchill's famous speech – led to a retreat, a new invasion a year later and once more withdrawal because the Gauls were getting pesky and Caesar turned his attention across the channel.

In AD 43 the emperor Claudius sent a conquering army of 40,000 men, quickly establishing control over the tribes in what was Britannia, but without controlling the whole country. His successor, Hadrian, built the wall to mark the northern boundary of the Roman Empire – and to keep out the Scots – from Newcastle in the east to Carlisle in the west.

All was relatively quiet in Brittania under Claudius until the king of the Iceni tribe died. His queen, Boudica, was incandescent that her lands had been taken by the Romans and her two daughters raped, so she stimulated a revolt. Under her leadership, and in alliance with the Trinovantes tribe, her army burned Londonium (London) to the ground, Verulamium (St Albans) and Camolodunum (Colchester).

When her men were virtually wiped out by Roman legions returning from active service in North Wales Boudica poisoned herself.