Isca Dumnoniorum

(c. AD 55) Roman legionary fortress at modern Exeter, built for the Legio II Augusta to secure southwest Britannia against the Dumnonii tribe. The 37-acre fort included a stone bathhouse with hypocaust heating, uncovered in 1970s excavations on Cathedral Green. After the legion relocated to Caerleon c. AD 75, the site became the civitas capital of the Dumnonii, gaining a forum, basilica, and public baths. Late 2nd-century stone walls, 3 m thick and 6 m high, enclosed 92 acres. About 70% of the circuit survives as the lower courses of Exeter's medieval city walls.