Lactodurum

Lactodurum stands on the site of modern Towcester in Northamptonshire. The town occupies a low hill above the valley of a small stream. Evidence shows people lived here since the middle Stone Age. Iron Age burials and Roman remains confirm continuous occupation. Watling Street, now the A5, once ran through the settlement. The road linked London to the north-west frontier. The Roman fort gave way to a civilian town with shops and houses. By the 2nd century, stone buildings lined the streets. A possible mansio and civic temple stood near the present church. The town wall had towers and an outer ditch. Fragments of Roman pavement survive beside the church boiler room. Visitors find Roman walls and pavements near St Lawrence’s Church. The church itself may occupy the site of a Roman temple. Small fragments of mosaic and painted plaster appear in places. The Mill Leat follows part of the old ditch. Remains of smithies and potteries show the town’s industries. The landscape still bears traces of the Roman grid of streets.