I find on my London walking tours that I have two types of guests.
There are those who are fascinated by Roman London and want to see as much as possible...and those who had no idea the Romans were ever here!
I've written this post for both types of visitors! Here I will cover Roman London, where it was, and what remains of it.
I'll include a map of the top Roman sights and tips on where to find them, as well as how to take tours of a few of them.
For a real look at Roman London, come along on our fantastic Roman London Tour!
Around the year 50 BC, the Roman settlement of Londinium was established near where the City of London stands today.
Click here for an interactive version of the map
A major hub in the Roman Empire, Londinium stood on the River Thames until it was abandoned by the Romans in the 5th century.
Although bustling and important, Londinium was quite small – about the size of today’s Hyde Park.
Boasting a complicated network of roads connecting Londinium to the rest of the country, an amphitheatre, temples, and markets, Londinium was a sophisticated city.
It always impresses me to think that the layout of London today owes so much to the original layout of Londinium.
The locations of roads and buildings are often the same now as they were 2,000 years ago.
It also impresses me that some of this is still standing to see!
Because of things like The Blitz and fires throughout the century, I'm always sad to have to tell people that much of historic London has been lost to time.
But the Romans have left remnants of their ancient town that we can still see today.
Below are my top locations for either Roman London ruins or artefacts.
I've listed them in the same order as the map I made above so it is a bit of a guided-tour.
1. Museum of London
The Museum of London is my favourite museum in our city. Yes, even above the V&A and, yes, even above the British Museum!
I can, and do, spend hours here.
Part of why I like it is because many people may have seen mummies before (such as those in the British Museum), or paintings from the Italian Renaissance (such as those in the V&A).
But, everything housed in the Museum of London's collection is unique to our city and can't be seen anywhere else!
And for a true treasure trove of Roman artefacts, the Museum of London can't be beaten.
Showcasing the history of London from well before the Romans themselves, the Museum holds a plethora of artifacts dating from the time of Londinium.
Currency, jewellery, household goods, and figures of worship, the Museum of London’s collection cannot be topped.
Note that as of writing (Jan 2025), the Museum of London is moving to a new location and is set to reopen to the public in 2026.
2. Roman Wall at the Museum of London
I always make it a point to tell people on my tours that the shape and size of the City of London today is directly influenced by the walls that were erected here by the Romans in the early part of the 1st century.
In fact my tour route takes guests from the west side to the east side of what was once Londinium.
And just near the Tower of London, where my tour finishes, are the remains of a piece of London's Roman Wall, which stood - in one form or another - until the 17th century.
A dominating feature for centuries, today the wall has been reduced to a few small pieces.
One of the reasons I like the piece near Tower Hill is because it's convenient to get to (which is wwy we include it on our Roman London Tour).
There is an information board that details this section of the wall and a lovely statue of Emperor Trajan (which was weirdly recovered from a scrapyard in the 1950's!).
Not to far from the Tower Hill section, is another section in the lobby of a hotel.
And in this video, Jessica, a tour guide collegue of mine with Tours by Foot - London, and her then newborn baby take you to visit this section of the wall.
More London Wall Locations
- Outside the old Museum of London
- On the Barbican Estate near Barbican Underground Station
- Check out or map above for a route to walk the Roman wall
3. Amphitheatre – London Guildhall
One of the things I love most about the construction of new buildings in the City of London - is that they tend to uncover old buildings!
The only Roman amphitheatre in Londoninium was unearthed in 1988 when London’s Guildhall was excavating a site for their new art gallery.
Nearly 2,000 years after it was last used, the amphitheatre was opened to the public again as a part of the new gallery.
Animal fights, public executions, and gladiatorial combats would have been held here, attracting huge audiences from all nearby Roman settlements.
It is now possible to visit the amphitheater when going to the gallery at the Guildhall and I strongly recommend it!
To me, there is something incredibly fascinating about walking through locations where crowds would've gathered centuries ago to watch some truly barbaric blood sports.
I also find that the amphitheatre is sadly unknown by a lot of visitors, so I have been lucky enough to have the entire place to myself on more than one visit!
I recommend a visit right before closing to try to get that experience for yourself.
We also visit on our Roman London Tour so consider joining us!
4. The Temple of Mithras
Originally uncovered in the 1950s during rebuilding work in the City, the Temple of Mithras was the largest and most important temple in Roman London.
Myriad figurines and tributes (some of which are in the Museum of London now) were found at the Temple, indicating that it was used frequently by Londinium residents.
Because of the pressing need to build over the site of the Temple, it was very carefully moved to Temple Court on Queen Victoria Street.
That was until the media company Bloomberg, building their European HQ on the land that stands on the original site, decided to reconstruct the Temple back in its original position – where it is believed it was erected in the year 240.
It's free to visit but you need timed-tickets.
The way the Temple of Mithras is presented to the public is truly astounding!
I took some friends of mine for their first time recently and they were so impressed.
When we entered, we spent some time exploring the artefacts on display that had all been found within the bounds of the Temple, before going downstairs to see some more and read about how historians believe the temple was used.
There was a school group there at the same time as us and the staff made sure to keep us separate so we could have our own experience which I thought was a nice touch.
Once the temple itself was empty we were guided in with about 10 other people and told to stand along one of the three walls that surround the temple.
Then, the lights went out, smoke filled the room and chanting began...
I don't want to give the rest away but suffice it to say, this is one of the most unique experiences you can have in our city.
And it is completely FREE - although you need timed tickets.
5. The London Stone
I love this artefact simply because it is so overlooked, although moves were made in 2018 to feature the stone more visibly.
There are over a quarter-million commuters who come to the City of London every day for work and I am constantly passing hundreds of them every week.
And never once have I seen any of them look down on Cannon Street to spot this hidden treasure.
A block of limestone measuring 53x43x30cm (21x17x12in), the London Stone is first made reference to in the year 1100 AD.
The original function and usage of the stone aren’t known for certain but it is thought to be Roman in origin.
Potentially used by the Romans as a distance marker, the stone has existed in this part of London for centuries.
And, by medieval times and was considered an important London landmark, sitting in the heart of the City of London.
The stone was considered so important that laws were drawn up on top of it and oaths were taken over it!
Until 2018 it lay, quite inconspicuously, in a small compartment at the bottom of a building located at 111 Cannon Street.
But, today has a more prominent display, on top of a stone pillar.
Although I still don't think it catches the eye of most who quickly walk past.
Learn more about the London Stone.
6. Roman Road in Southwark Cathedral
I love to share this hidden gem with my tour visitors!
Nobody ever expects to see a 2,000 year old road in the middle of a gift shop!
Roman London had a bridge crossing the River Thames, where the current London Bridge stands today.
On the southern side of the Roman bridge was a road that passed right through where Southwark Cathedral stands today.
Rebuilding of the gift shop/visitor centre at Southwark Cathedral unearthed part of this road and it was incorporated into the redesign of the visitor centre.
I love this because it is so unassuming and it's also not behind any kind of glass - you can really stand right there and see all of it.
I also love that it is layered, literally.
The archaeologists who made the display made little notes that point out when the first road was built, then the layer on top of that...and the one on top of that.
So, I can see Roman, Medieval, Tudor and Victorian work one on top of the other.
It's like a layer cake that runs underneath our city that normally we can't see.
This gives me a view into London's past that I think is unmatched elsewhere in the city.
7. Billingsgate Roman House & Baths
This is a great one for those, who like me, want to get up close and personal to history!
Within the basement of na office block stands one of Roman London's most fascinating remains: a Roman house and Roman baths.
It's only accessible by tour but what I love about it is that I get to walk right among the ruins - which have been immaculately preserved.
The tours take place on Saturdays between April and November.
At time of writing (Jan 2025) tickets are £12 for adults and £10 for children 14 and under. Book the tours on their website.
8. Leadenhall Market
Leadenhall Market is well known for its' beauty as well as its' use as a filming location for the Harry Potter films so I am most often there when I am leading a Harry Potter Tour...or getting a drink at Old Tom's Bar!
But what many of the people who pass through the glass and ironwork structure don't know is that there'd a hidden piece of Roman London tucked away in the back of a barber's shop!
Leadenhall Market sits on top of what was once a roman basilica, which was forgotten to time until construction in the 19th century uncovered the ruins.
The only piece that is visible to the public is on the ground floor of Nicholson & Griffin's hairdressers, situated right on the corner of the market and Gracechurch Street.
Or, let my colleague Sinead, also a tour guide with us, Tours by Foot London, take you on a video tour of the ruins.
I've been lucky enough to see it - and you can, too! But only if you're polite.
What I've done is to go into the salon and simply asked the staff nicely if I could please see the Roman ruins.
They are always happy to bring me down and show me what is left of the supporting piers from underneath the basilica that once stood here.
I love that the ruins are kept behind a glass wall, right next to one of the barber's chairs!
A truly bizarre but fascinating piece of London's history.
9. Roman River Wooden Pilings
You've probably noticed a theme of me telling you that the next place on my list is in a hidden or unexpected location - and I am going to do it again!
Tucked away beside a 17th century church, designed by genius architect Sir Christopher Wren, sits the original wooden pilings that supported the parts of the Roman Wall that touched the River Thames.
Almost all of these have been lost to time - except for the singular piece that still survives, on display outside St. Magnus the Martyr Church!
It always surprises me as it is just sitting there, literally a few metres off of a busy road, and most people have no idea.
Check out our video on the history of London Bridge below to see this original piece.
10. All-Hallows-by-the-Tower
This charming church was originally founded in the 7th century - so not quite as long ago as Londinium.
However, after bombing damage in the Second World War, it was discovered that some of the ground floor structure had been built using Roman tiles and stonework.
Today, there is a museum in the crypt of the church, displaying portions of Roman pavement, as well as artefacts discovered during reconstruction efforts.
This is another location that is often overlooked by visitors, so the few times I have gone, I've been almost the only one inside.
And I like to point out for my American guests (or readers, in this case), All-Hallows-by-the-Tower is where John Quincy Adams was married in 1797 and where William Penn was baptised in 1644!
11. St. Bride's Church
The church of St. Bride's is a stop on my City of London Tour because of its' legendary association with wedding cakes.
However, there is much more than meets the eye here.
Although the current version was rebuilt in the 17th century by Sir Christopher Wren, hidden in the crypt are even older pieces of history.
Uncovered in the 20th century, the crypt is home to medieval lead-lined coffins but are on my list because they also feature another roman pavement and a roman ditch.
I know, a ditch doesn't sound that exciting, however, it's a bit of a historical mystery.
Apparently it's much deeper than the ditch that would've surrounded the Roman Wall - and nobody knows why!
Also in the crypt are Roman artefacts and the remains of a mosaic.
This is another location that I like to go to strictly because it is unexpected - and also not usually busy.
The crypt is essentially a small museum and they have a history of the building, beginning with the foundations 2,000 years ago, up to today.
It's all displayed in a time line that wraps around the crypt with relevant artefacts on display from any given point in its' history.
I just think it is really well laid out and is also very easy to understand, even if artefact and academia aren't your thing.
Although, I confess that my favourite artefact in the church isn't Roman at all.
Instead, my favourite is the 18th-century wedding dress of Sarah Rich, whose husband, William, is said to be responsible for the creation of the modern day wedding cake which was reportedly based on the shape of the spire here at St. Bride's Church!
But take that with a grain of salt...or sugar.
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