The warrior queen is one of the most famous figures in British history

One of the most famous warrior queens that fought against the Romans has links to a quiet Cambridgeshire town. Boudicca is one of the most famous figures in Roman history. But what people might not know is of her strong links to Chatteris in the Cambridgeshire Fens.

Not only was she the queen of the British Iceni tribe, but she led a major revolt against the Roman empire during the Roman’s conquest of Britain. Boudicca was married to Prasutagus, and the couple shared two daughters.

Prasutagus ruled as an independent ally of Rome and in his will, he left his kingdom to his daughters and the Roman empire. When Prasutagus died, his wishes were ignored and the kingdom was seized by the Romans.

In rebellion, Boudicca gathered together over 120,000 soldiers and led a revolt against the empire. This revolt took place throughout England.

Boudicca’s army famously burnt down Camulodunum (Colchester in Essex), Londinium (London) and Verulamium (St Albans). Around 70,000 to 80,000 Romans and Britons were killed by Boudicca’s army.

However, Boudicca’s army fell to defeat after a battle that is believed to have taken place in the West Midlands. This resulted in Boudicca’s death.

Although most of the battle took place elsewhere, it crossed parts of Cambridgeshire and Suffolk. This was before county borders existed, but remnants of the Icenic tribe are still present in Cambridgeshire today.

More notably, in Chatteris. The market town is believed to contain Brittonic elements. These are in the form of Celtic names, which suggest original Britons may have settled in Chatteris.

With Chatteris being nearly Ely, it would have also been within the boundaries of the Iceni tribe. It’s even possible that Boudicca may have journeyed through Chatteris, as well as men from the areas that travelled to join her revolt.

Another strong link that the town and county has to the Iceni tribe is that after the battle defeat, the descendants of those who fought are believed to have survived the longest in the Fens. In 2015, Chatteris Museum held an exhibition dedicated to Boudicca.