Roman Ruins London: Explore Ancient History in the Modern City

When you walk through London today, you’re stepping over something much older than the Tube or the pubs—the Roman ruins London, the physical remains of Londinium, the Roman settlement that became the foundation of modern London. Also known as Roman London, these ruins are scattered beneath office buildings, subway stations, and even popular tourist spots, quietly holding onto a 2,000-year-old story. This wasn’t a small outpost. Londinium was a major trading hub, with a population of 50,000 at its peak, a grand amphitheatre, public baths, and a fortified wall that still shapes parts of the city’s layout today.

One of the most surprising finds? The Roman amphitheatre London, a large stone arena where gladiators fought and crowds cheered over 1,800 years ago. Also known as London Roman amphitheatre, it was buried under the Guildhall complex and only rediscovered in the 1980s. You can still visit it today—free of charge—underground, with clear signage showing where the seats and entrances once stood. Then there’s the Roman baths London, remnants of the public heating and washing systems Romans built to keep their citizens clean and comfortable. These aren’t just fragments; they’re full rooms with original tile floors and hypocaust systems still intact, found near the Museum of London and the City of London’s financial district.

Don’t overlook the Roman London wall, the defensive barrier built around Londinium in the late 2nd century. Parts of it still stand near Tower Hill, Barbican, and just outside the Museum of London. You can touch the same stones that guarded the city against Celtic uprisings and Saxon raids. Even the street layout of the City of London follows Roman roads—like Watling Street, which is now part of modern-day London’s A2 road. These aren’t museum pieces behind glass. They’re real, accessible, and often free. You don’t need a ticket or a guidebook. Just look down at the pavement near Bank or Cannon Street, or walk along the Thames Path—you might be standing on a Roman pavement.

What you’ll find in the posts below isn’t a dry history lesson. It’s a collection of real, practical ways to find, visit, and understand these ruins without getting lost in tourist traps. Some posts show you exactly where to look for hidden mosaics under a pub floor. Others tell you which guided walks skip the crowds and focus on the quiet, powerful spots only locals know. There’s even one that explains how a Roman sewer system still drains part of the city today. These aren’t just ruins. They’re layers of a living city, and you’re walking right through them.