Ecce ovum!  Easter trail at Wroxeter Roman City

Children will be invited to look out for eggs amongst the remaining ruins at Wroxeter Roman City this Easter, as the site hosts a family fun trail for the Easter weekend (6-9 April 2012).

For four day, visitors will be challenged to track down all the eggs that the Easter bunny has hidden around the site, collecting a clue from each one which can then be decoded to reveal a special password. Participants can then return to the admissions desk to claim their prize – a delicious Lindt chocolate bunny!

“In the city’s later years – the 5thcentury – Easter celebrations would have been reasonably common amongst the citizens, as Emperor Constantine had officially ‘converted’ the empire to Christianity in the mid 4thcentury,” says site manager, Mary Wycherley. “However, their celebrations would have been far more serious, with citizens having just completed their Lent fasting. Indeed, it is possible that the nearby River Severn was used for baptisms around Easter as the militia was often baptised en masse at Easter. Contemporary documents have soldiers going to battle recens de lavacro, which means fresh from baptism.”

The Easter trail is the first event in an exciting year for Wroxeter. Hot on the success of 2011, which saw visitor numbers rocket, largely thanks to the opening of a recreated Roman Town House, which was documented by the Channel 4 series, Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day. In April, the house will aquire a more ‘lived-in’ feel when furniture is installed in each room, whilst a selection of Roman-themed events throughout the rest of the summer will see the site populated with Time Travellers (Tuesdays and Wednesdays during the summer holidays), the Mighty Roman Army (9-10 June) and a chance to Meet the Romans over the August bank holiday weekend.

Wroxeter Roman City is open daily from 31 March to 4 November from 10.00am to 5.00pm.   The site is located in Wroxeter, approximately five miles east of Shrewsbury on the B4380. Admission priced are £5.00 for adults, £4.50 for concessions and just £3.00 for children, with a family ticket (two adults and up to three children) available for £13.00. Admission includes entry into the visitor centre, the Roman city and the Town House.

For more information, please visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/wroxeter or call 01743 761330 or 0870 333 1183.

ENDS

Note to editors:  "Ecce ovum" translates as "Look, an egg!"

For further media information, or for a copy of English Heritage's 2012 events press pack for the West Midlands, please contact:

Jay Commins – PRO English Heritage (West Midlands)

Tel: 0113 251 5698

Mob: 07810 546567

Email: jay@fim.org.uk