When did the Romans leave Britain?
The Romans left Britain around AD 410, after nearly 400 years of rule. With the Roman Empire under pressure, Emperor Honorius is said to have told the British cities to look after their own defense.
The Romans invaded Britain in AD 43, under Emperor Claudius. They gradually took control of much of what is now England and Wales.
Roman Britain had towns, roads, villas and forts. Londinium, now London, became an important city.
Why they left
By the late 300s, the Roman Empire faced attacks from Germanic tribes in Europe. Troops were withdrawn from Britain to defend other parts of the empire.
After the Romans left, Britain was divided into smaller kingdoms. Over the following centuries, Anglo-Saxons from northern Europe settled in large numbers.
Roman influence remained in Britain's roads, towns and place names. Many places ending in chester, caster or cester, such as Manchester and Leicester, come from the Latin word castra, meaning fort.
Roman sites, such as Hadrian's Wall, the Roman Baths in Bath and Fishbourne Roman Palace, can still be visited.