The civil side of the Romans at Wroxeter Roman City
Sunday 26 & Bank Holiday Monday 27 August 2012
It was founded as a military garrison, but soon came to be one of the largest civilian cities in the whole of Britain, and this August bank holiday weekend, a Roman family will move into the Town House at Wroxeter Roman City to give visitors a taste of civilian life in second century Virconium!
A household of re-enactors from the Roman Military Research Society will leave their weapons at the gate as they settle into their new home in Wroxeter, the Roman Town House. The family and their slaves will be living in the house for two days to give visitors an impression of what Roman life would have been like away from the more commonly featured military.
“When we opened the Roman Town House, for the first time it gave visitors a real sense of just how grand and how big the city would have been – the ruins highlight some areas like the bath-house, but it is only when you see the height and colour that you get a real feeling for what Wroxeter might have looked like,” says site manager, Mary Wycherley. “Having a real Roman family living in the house will enable visitors to question different aspects of life in the city, from dealing with the unpredictable British weather to how they would welcome guests into their home.”
One of the rooms at the front of the Roman Town House is set up as a shop, from which the merchant would have sold his goods. During the ‘Meet the Romans’ weekend, the retail facility will be occupied by a cobbler making shoes for the citizens and an armourer making ringmail, a precursor of the mail vests more commonly seen in medieval re-enactments.
The event runs each day from 11.00am to 5.00pm, with the site itself opening an hour earlier at 10.00am. Admission prices are £6.50 for adults, £5.80 for concessions and £4.20 for children, or £17.10 for a family ticket (two adults and up to three children). English Heritage members receive discounted entry of £1.50, £1.30, £1.20 and £4.10 respectively.
For more details, please visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/wroxeter or call 01743 761330.
ENDS
For further media information, please contact:
Jay Commins – PRO English Heritage (West Midlands)
Tel: 0113 251 5698
Mob: 07810 546567
Email: jay@fim.org.uk