If you’ve paid a visit to our gin school you’ll know we base all our products on heritage and story telling whether that be our award winning Exeter Gin based on our city heritage or our sister brand Granny Garbutt’s Gin based on our rich family history. We started our Exeter Gin journey in January 2017 exploring our Roman heritage as a starting point for our city gin and thought we would give a little more insight into why they were so important to us as a developing nation.
So we’re going back; way back to the Roman invasion of Britain in 43 AD. You might picture togas, sandals, and Julius Caesar (even though he didn’t stick around long), but the Romans gave Britain far more than good drama.
So, what was their biggest impact?
Our answer: roads and infrastructure.
Why roads?
Before the Romans arrived, Britain had rough tracks and footpaths. When they left centuries later, they left behind over 2,000 miles of stone roads that connected towns, forts, and ports across the country. These routes weren’t just for marching soldiers—they brought trade, travel, communication, and long-term unity to the land.
Even today, you’ll find modern roads that follow Roman routes. Next time you’re driving down a suspiciously straight road—it might just be Roman underneath!
More than roads… towns!
With roads came towns: Londinium (London), Eboracum (York), and Aquae Sulis (Bath). These were planned cities with forums, baths, markets, and stone buildings—a far cry from the small, scattered villages of pre-Roman Britain.
They laid the foundation (literally) for many of our modern cities.
And let’s not forget…
- The Latin language (still hiding in law, medicine, and church terms)
- Written records and currency
- Early ideas of law and government
- Roman architecture and engineering
In short?
The Romans didn’t just invade, they built Britain. Their roads and towns helped shape the country we know today
Until next time ...watch your step, you might be walking on history!