Roman London: Ancient Ruins, History, and Hidden遗迹 in the Modern City

When you walk through the City of London today, you’re stepping over the foundations of Roman London, the original settlement called Londinium, founded by the Romans around 43 AD as a trading post on the River Thames. Also known as Londinium, it grew into one of the most important cities in Roman Britain—home to markets, baths, temples, and a fort that later became the core of today’s financial district. This wasn’t just a small outpost. At its peak, Londinium had a population of 30,000, a grand amphitheater, and a wall that still outlines parts of the modern city. You can still see pieces of it near Tower Hill and the Museum of London.

Roman London wasn’t just about buildings—it shaped how the city works. The Romans built the first major roads, like Watling Street and Ermine Street, which became the backbone of London’s transport network. Their sewer system, the Walbrook, and their bridge over the Thames laid the groundwork for today’s infrastructure. Even the location of London Bridge traces back to Roman engineering. You’ll find Roman artifacts in museums, but you don’t need to go far—just look down at street level near Bank or Cannon Street, and you’re walking on Roman pavement.

Related to this history are the Roman ruins, physical remnants of Londinium that survive beneath modern buildings, including parts of the city wall, temple foundations, and a rare Roman theatre discovered in 1988. Also known as Londinium remains, these sites are often hidden in plain sight—inside office basements, behind glass in public plazas, or marked by small plaques on sidewalks. Then there’s the Roman history, the story of how a provincial town became a hub of trade, religion, and power, ruled by governors, filled with soldiers, and connected to the wider empire. This history explains why London’s street grid still follows Roman lines in places, and why the city’s oldest churches were built on top of Roman temples. You won’t find gladiators fighting in the streets today, but you can still visit the remains of a Roman bathhouse under a bank, or walk along a stretch of the original city wall near the Tower of London.

What you’ll find in the posts below isn’t just a list of old stones. It’s a collection of real, tangible connections to that ancient past—how Roman London lives on in modern landmarks, hidden courtyards, museum exhibits, and even street names. Whether you’re standing in front of a Roman wall fragment or reading about how the Thames shaped its trade routes, you’re not just looking at history—you’re standing on it.