From the enigmatic Stonehenge in the south to the monumental Hadrian’s Wall in the north, archaeology in England is as rich through time as it is in geographical distribution. The earliest evidence of humans dates back to before the Last Glacial period. Beginning just before the end of the Ice Age and on into the Medieval period there were successive arrivals of people who brought with them new ways of living: the first farmers, the Romans and the Anglo-Saxons, all contributing to the temporal and spatial diversity of archaeological sites in England we can visit today.
The division of England adopted here is primarily geographical, 12 regions defined by a distinct geographic identity. Archaeological sites and museums in each region are then listed according to the ceremonial counties of England. These ceremonial counties are appropriate here as they tend to be more geographic than administrative. Sites and museums that are located within the unitary authorities of Bournemouth or Poole can be found listed in the ceremonial county of Dorset. The following is a list of the 12 regions and their constituent counties.
The South-West Peninsular: Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly | Devon
Wessex and the West Country: Dorset | Somerset | Wiltshire
The Weald and Downland of south-east England: East Sussex | Hampshire | Isle of Wight | Kent | Surrey | West Sussex
Greater London: London
The Cotswolds and upper Thames Valley: Berkshire | Gloucestershire | Oxfordshire | Warwickshire
The Chilterns and Northampton Uplands: Bedfordshire | Buckinghamshire | Hertfordshire | Northamptonshire
East Anglia: Cambridgeshire | Essex | Norfolk | Suffolk
The Midlands Plain and Welsh Borders: Cheshire | Herefordshire | Merseyside | Shropshire | Staffordshire | West Midlands | Worcestershire
East Midlands: Derbyshire | Leicestershire | Lincolnshire | Nottinghamshire | Rutland
Yorkshire and the Humber Basin: Yorkshire
The Lake District and the North-west: Cumbria | Greater Manchester | Lancashire
Northumbria: Durham | Northumberland | Tyne & Wear
City Guides: Bristol, Exeter
Yorkshire Museum’s Roman Statue of the God Mars
Pride of place at the Yorkshire Museum is given to a life-size, near complete statue of Mars, the Roman God of War – one of the most important military god. This stunning stone statue stands at the entrance to the museum’s galleries in front of a floor map of the Roman Empire. The juxtaposition is intentional and quite meaningful … Continue Reading >>
London Wall Walk: the City’s Roman & Medieval Past
The London Wall Walk is a 2.8 kilometre (1.75 mile) walk follows what remains of the wall built by the Romans and maintained and rebuilt during Medieval times, that starts at the Tower of London and leads you to the Museum of London. Besides seeing London’s ancient Wall, this is a great way to see significant places of the City of London … Continue Reading >>
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