Roman Britain - Legacy

Legacy

During their occupation of Britain the Romans built an extensive network of roads which continued to be used in later centuries and many are still followed today.

The Romans also built water supply, sanitation and sewage systems.

Many of Britain's major cities, such as London (Londinium), Manchester (Mamucium) and York (Eburacum), were founded by the Romans.

Britain is also noteworthy as being the largest European region of the former Roman Empire whose majority language is neither:

• A Romance language (although English, descended from the speech of Germanic tribes which arrived after the Romans had left Britain, has had a heavy influence from French, due primarily to the Norman conquest of England), nor
• A language descended from the pre-Roman inhabitants, though Welsh exists as a living minority language, with many borrowings from Latin, such as llaeth ("milk"), ffenestr ("window"). Fragmentary use of Cornish lasted into the early modern period.