Alchester Roman Town

Alchester is the site of an ancient Roman town. The site is not included in any ancient references so the Roman name is not known. It lies about 2mi south of Bicester, in the northwest corner of the civil parish of Wendlebury in the English county of Oxfordshire.Alchester had a strategic location in Roman Britain at a crossroads on the Silchester - Dorchester - Towcester road and the Cirencester - St Albans road (Akeman Street). Recent excavations have shown that it was the site of one of the earliest legionary fortresses in Roman Britain after the invasion of 43 AD.The site has been the subject of investigation since 1996, first under the auspices of Oxford University Archaeological Society, then under those of Leicester and Edinburgh Universities.HistoryArchaeology has shown an Iron Age settlement close to the later Roman town, and that Roman occupation of the site began in the Claudian period in the form of a fort soon after the invasion of Britain in 43 AD.Military PhaseFrom the time of the Roman invasion Alchester was in a strategic position in the border region of the Catuvellauni and Dobunni tribes, and in an ideal position to exercise control over wide areas.