House prices are on average 80% higher in Roman towns than elsewhere, new research has revealed.
According to Jackson-Stops & Staff, Roman towns have outperformed new towns by more than 56% when analysing average house prices over a twenty-year period.
The Romans originally built Britain’s first towns over 2,000 years ago with London, Colchester and St Albans being the three largest. In contrast, new towns were built 70 years ago following the Second World War in order to relocate those affected by bombing.
Nick Leeming, chairman of Jackson-Stops & Staff, said: “Roman towns are as popular today as they were over 2,000 years ago and our research demonstrates that their popularity has directly affected property values. Well designed and future proofed, they are imbued with history and evidence of the Roman occupation is still very much visible today.”
The research shows that the top five performing Roman towns include London, St Albans, Chelmsford, Cambridge and Bath. London has seen the largest percentage increase in property values over 20 years, however it is followed closely by St Albans, despite average prices being almost £100,000 less than London.
| Best performing Roman towns | |||
| Roman Towns | Roman Name | Average House Price (April 2016) | % increase over 20 years |
| London | Londinium | £630,145 | 354.58% |
| St. Albans | Veralamiumn | £536,456 | 323.25% |
| Chelmsford | Caesaromagus | £340,141 | 311.40% |
| Cambridge | Duroliponte | £410,800 | 302.46% |
| Bath | Aquae Sulis | £390,664 | 301.09% |
New towns have also seen substantial increases in values over the past twenty years, however not quite at the same level as Roman towns. Basildon in Essex has seen the largest rise in values at 314%, followed by Hemel Hempstead at 309%, however these don’t match any of the top three Roman towns.
| Best performing new towns | ||
| New town name | Average House Price (April 2016) | % rise over 20 years |
| Basildon | £228,163 | 314.40% |
| Hemel Hempstead | £367,146 | 309.56% |
| Welwyn | £366,790 | 303.82% |
| Crawley | £296,361 | 303.62% |
| Stevenage | £278,425 | 301.92% |
Both new towns and Roman towns have outperformed UK average house prices.
| UK average house price | Average House Price (April 2016) | % rise over 20 years |
| Average UK house price | £189,901 | 216% |
Leeming said: “Roman towns were generally built in prime strategic locations guarding rivers or on elevated territory and so enjoy fantastic positions not always enjoyed by the new towns. They have antiquity and a layering of history which make them magnets for today’s home buyers.
“The Romans were incredibly insightful and forward thinking, building towns that were often designed in the form of a grid and accessed by two main Roman roads. Each of the towns also benefitted from a central core with shops and businesses, which today have evolved into flourishing high streets.”
“Some of the new towns have also done well such as Basildon, Welwyn, Crawley, Stevenage and Milton Keynes and may provide rather better value for home buyers because they are generally cheaper that the majority of Roman towns.”
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