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By now the Roman way of life was well established. It was over 150 years since the invasion. The poor people still lived in small timber-framed houses but they would be in neatly laid out villages. It is more than likely that these homes still only had one room but, with Roman rule throughout England, there was considerably less likelihood of your home being attacked. Some wealthy Britons had now begun living in grand villas. These would usually be just one floor but would have lots of rooms and the walls would be covered with coloured tiles. The villas would be a fairly similar shape, either a closed square with four sections or an open 3-sided square. In the centre would be an open space called the atrium. This might have a pool in the centre which would be filled from rain water coming off the roof of the buildings. Some of these villas would also have under floor heating. There would be a big boiler in another room and the heat would be sent through channels under the floors of the villa. The floors themselves would often be made of little pieces of broken tile or glass put together to make a mosaic. Romans knew how to make glass so the villas and other big houses would have windows. The wealthy people who lived in these villas might also have a house in town. The very wealthy might have their own water supply brought to the villa by means of an aqueduct. This would be a stone channel, often on columns, to bring water from a river or stream miles away.
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