Braughing Roman Town

Braughing was a small Roman town in the province of Britannia. Today the remains lie under the hamlet of Ford Bridge, straddling the parish boundary between Braughing and Standon in Hertfordshire. It stands at the navigable head of the River Rib, a tributary of the Lea. Late Iron Age traces include ditches and timber buildings linked to the Catuvellauni king Tasciovanus. Coins bearing his name were found on the site. After the Roman conquest the settlement grew where Ermine Street and Stane Street met. Two centres developed, one on Wickham Hill and another at Skeleton Green. The town covered at least thirty-six hectares but was never walled. A planned street grid appeared with thatched timber buildings that lasted until about AD 60. Later masonry structures included an L-shaped building with a bath suite still in use in the 4th century. Industry ranged from iron and bronze working to large-scale pottery production nearby. Commercial premises, domestic buildings and workshops mark the 2nd-century expansion. Skeleton Green later became a cemetery. The last Roman coins date from the reign of Arcadius. Excavations between 1969 and 1973 uncovered these layers. Visitors can still trace the street lines and building platforms across the fields.