A well planned invasion by 40,000 to 50,000 Roman soldiers took place in the
summer of 43AD. A massive force for those days, and the British tribes were no
match for them.
Within a year or so the Romans had pushed west to a line from Exeter to Lincoln,
and by 60AD controlled most of Britain south of the Humber.
A revolt with the Iceni tribe under Queen Boudica nearly managed to dislodge the
Romans. But their superior military knowledge prevailed, and after
that they had no major uprisings in England. Most of the country
was under civil, rather and military rule.
They pushed north and built the network of straight roads across the country,
most of which can still be followed today. As they pushed north into Scotland,
they decided to build a gigantic wall, Hadrian's Wall, to control the frontier.
It was started in 122AD and runs roughly from Newcastle to Carlisle. You
can still see large sections of Hadrian’s Wall today as it snakes across the
Northumberland moorland.
The Romans did expand further into Scotland, building the Antonine Wall across
the Lowlands (Glasgow to Edinburgh). However, this was a turf, not stone wall,
and little remains. It was started in 142 AD, but abandoned by 163 AD.
The country appears to have enjoyed a period of unprecedented peace - "the
golden age of the Villa". Around 300 AD the Roman Empire came under sustained
attack by the barbarian hordes in central Europe and some troops were withdrawn
to help in that area. Northern Britain started to suffer attacks from the Scots
and Picts. But it was until 410 AD that the Roman Emperor Constantine finally
removed the whole garrison of Britain to defend the Rhine frontier from attack.
The cities of Britain were instructed to look to their own defense.
The Romans never returned to Britain. Britain was to slip into a 600 year period of wars and fragmentation. Of Angles and Saxons invading, the Celts being pushed West, and the country under almost continuous Viking attack