In AD 43, Rome invaded Britain, and seized huge swathes of present-day England and Wales over the following 45 years. Across the country, state-of-the-art settlements displaying the latest in Roman technology and design sprang up. Some were purpose-built towns for military veterans, called 'colonia', while others were superimposed over existing Celtic settlements. Here, our team has ranked the biggest and best examples of historic Roman outposts in Britain that are still towns and cities today.

Click through this gallery for our pick of Britain's best Roman towns and cities...