Roman Vectis

c. 43-410 AD

The Romans invaded Britain in 43 AD, and the Isle of Wight, known to them as Vectis, was conquered early in the campaign by the Second Legion under the future emperor Vespasian. The island became an agricultural settlement with several Roman villas, the finest of which survives at Brading with well-preserved mosaic floors depicting mythological scenes. Other villas have been identified at Combley, Carisbrooke, Clatterford and Newport, indicating a prosperous rural economy producing grain and wool for export to the mainland. Roman pottery, coins and brooches are regularly found across the island. The Romans also used the island's harbours, and the Solent was a busy seaway connecting Vectis to the ports of Clausentum (Southampton) and Portus Adurni (Portchester). The Roman occupation lasted nearly four centuries and left a deep mark on the island's landscape.