Letocetum, now known as the village of Wall, Staffordshire, England, is the remains of a Roman settlement. It is owned and run by the National Trust, under the name "Letocetum Roman Baths Site & Museum". The site is in the guardianship of English Heritage.

The name Letocetum eventually became associated with the current city of Lichfield (Middle Welsh: Caer Lwytgoed; see below).

History

Letocetum was an important mansio or staging post near the junction of Watling Street, the Roman military road to North Wales (now the A5 road), and Icknield (or Ryknild) Street (now the A38). Graham Webster notes that it was listed in the Historia Brittonum writing "Wall, appearing as Cair Luitcoyt, and undoubtedly correctly ascribed, appears rather incongruously among such major towns and military depots as York, London, Chester, Wroxcter, Caerleon, and Caer-went, but nevertheless must have been a place of important consequence because of its inclusion as a strategic city. Other versions of the Historia Brittonum refer instead to Cair Loit Coit (Lincoln) and Geoffrey of Monmouth identified it (with the spelling Kaerluideoit) with Lincoln as did his contemporary Henry of Huntingdon.

There are some remaining ruins and an on-site museum which displays many of the excavated finds.

Etymology

Letocetum is the Latinised version of the Old British "Letoceton"; let — grey, ceton — wooded area; cf. modern Welsh llwyd and coed with the same meanings respectively; cf. also Middle Welsh Caer Lwytgoed — Lichfield; caer — fortification.

Notes

External links

• Letocetum Roman Baths Site & Museum information at the National Trust
• Wall Roman Site (Letocetum) information at English Heritage