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'Viroconium' was the Roman name for a city now occupied by the
English town of Wroxeter, around 5 miles south east of Shrewsbury.
Viroconium is estimated to have been the fourth largest Roman settlement in Britain with a population of more than 6,000
people at its peak. It was founded in the later 1st century AD and by 130 had grown to more than 70ha and contained baths and a
forum dedicated to the emperor Hadrian.
Impressive standing remains have been excavated and the rest of the city has been mapped through geophysical survey and aerial archaeology.
Although in decline, the city continued to be occupied following the Roman withdrawal in AD 410 and has been suggested by some as the Camelot of Arthurian myth.
External links
Viroconium History site
A fictional town, possibly inspired by the name Viroconium is Viriconium
which appears in the books of M. John Harrison.
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