Before The Romans:

• Neolithic & Bronze Age
• Iron Age & Brigantes
• The Roman Conquest

Before The Romans:

The arrival of the Romans in Castleford

The Roman Conquest in southern Britain
The Romans conquered southern Britain in AD 43, but they did not immediately try to invade the north of Britain. It took some time to establish control of the south-east. They suffered a disaster in AD 60 when Boudicca, Queen of the Iceni tribe, led a revolt against them.

The Romans move into northern Britain
The Queen of the Brigantes, Cartimandua, at first had a policy of becoming an ally of the Romans, rather than opposing them. In the end her own people, led by her ex-husband, revolted against her. This became the excuse for the Romans to move in and take control. Petillius Cerialis, Roman governor of Britain, conquered almost the whole of the north of England from AD 71-4.

What did the Romans call Castleford?
The earliest historic documents indicate that the Roman name for Castleford was either Legeolium or Lagecium. However, Roman Castleford is more often referred to as Lagentium – a name which was first recorded some 300 years after the Romans left Britain. Lagentium is thought to mean ‘Place of the Swordsmen’.