Oldest town in Britain facts for kids

The title of oldest town in Britain is claimed by several places across Great Britain. Each town has its own reasons for making this claim, often based on different ideas of what "oldest" means.

Abingdon's Ancient Roots

Abingdon in Oxfordshire (which used to be part of Berkshire) says it's the oldest town in Britain with continuous settlement. This means people have lived there without stopping for a very long time. Scientists have found tools and remains from the Palaeolithic (Old Stone Age), Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age), Neolithic (New Stone Age), and Bronze Age in and around Abingdon.

In 1991, they found proof of a large Iron Age settlement called an 'oppidum' (a type of large, fortified town) right under the town centre. This area kept being used as a town during the Roman time in Britain. Later, it became a Saxon settlement, even when many other Roman towns were left empty. Abingdon Abbey, a famous monastery, was built in the 600s and gave the town its current name.

Amesbury: A Very Early Home

Amesbury in Wiltshire, close to Stonehenge, is also said to be Britain's oldest settlement. A project by the University of Buckingham suggests it dates back to 8820 BC! This makes it incredibly old. The area might have been a busy transport spot, with the River Avon helping people travel. Archaeologists have found interesting things there, like evidence of frogs' legs being eaten, along with 31,000 flint tools and animal bones.

Colchester: Britain's First Recorded Town

Colchester claims to be Britain's oldest recorded town. This means it was the first town in Britain to be written about. More recently, it has also started calling itself "Britain's First City."

This claim comes from a Roman writer named Pliny the Elder. In his book Natural History (written in 77 AD), he mentioned Anglesey was "about 200 miles from Camulodunum, a town in Britain." Camulodunum was the Roman name for Colchester. This is thought to be the first time any named place in Britain was written down. However, coins made by a Celtic leader named Tasciovanus around 20-10 BC also mention Camulodunon, which was the Celtic name for the settlement.

Archaeologists have found very old tools and pottery near Colchester from the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, and Bronze Ages. The town itself began as a Celtic capital called Camulodunon around the first century BC. Under Celtic warlords like Cunobelin and Caratacus, it became a very powerful kingdom.

In 43 AD, the Roman Empire conquered the settlement. Emperor Claudius himself led the attack. The Romans built a military base there, which later became the town of Colonia Victricensis in 49 AD. This made it the first Roman capital in Britain. Colchester's town walls, built between 61 AD and 80 AD, are the oldest Roman town walls in Britain. The town was home to a huge Roman temple, two theatres (including Britain's largest), and even Britain's only known chariot racing track. It was a very important Roman city.

Ipswich: The Oldest English Town

Ipswich, in Suffolk, claims to be the 'oldest English town'. This claim is very specific. While there's evidence of people living in the Ipswich area during the Stone Age, Roman times, and the Migration Age, Ipswich's special claim is that it was the first town to be started and grown by the English. It has been a continuous community since early Anglo-Saxon times.

When Ipswich says it's the 'oldest English town', it means:

• Oldest: It was the first to be created as a town, and it's still there today.
• English: It was started and lived in by people who spoke Old English. These were the different groups who came together to form the English people between the 400s and 600s.
• Town: It began as a busy place, not just a farming village. It had different jobs, industries, homes, a market, and was a centre for trade. It also had some form of local government.

During the Migration Age, new customs, the English language, and building styles from northern Europe came to eastern Britain. Ipswich (then called Gipeswic) became an important trading centre, like Hamwic (which later became Southampton). These places helped kingdoms trade goods.

In Ipswich, old paths show how the 7th-century riverside, river crossing, and early market areas grew quickly. In the 700s, a planned network of streets was built. These streets are still the main roads in modern Ipswich. It's believed that the community has never been abandoned.

Ipswich's claim is different from cities like London or York, which were important Roman cities. Ipswich argues that it represents the start of a new type of town, built on early English ideas, unlike the Roman ruins of Colchester.

Thatcham: Continuously Inhabited

Thatcham in Berkshire is often said to be the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in Britain. This is because people have lived there for over 13,000 years!

Archaeologists found a Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age) hunting camp there, next to a lake that formed after the last ice age. There is strong evidence that people settled in Thatcham during the Mesolithic Age (10,000 BC – 4,000 BC). Later, Romans and Saxons lived there, and the town was even mentioned in the Domesday Book, a famous survey from 1086. It also received special rights in the Middle Ages.

Thatcham was listed in the 1990 Guinness World Records as the strongest claimant for the longest continually inhabited settlement in the UK. The 1993 book also mentioned it as an example of a place with very early human occupation.