In the 1st century BC and AD, the Iceni people lived in what we now call East Anglia. The Iceni were not conquered initially by the Romans when they invaded in 43 AD. Several uprisings against the Romans took place, the one most notable lead by Boudica in 60 or 61 AD. In the end the Romans won.
The history of this revolt was rediscovered in the Renaissance and Boudica became a national hero and an important national cultural symbol.
The Iceni Village Nature Reserve and Museum is a complex with several modules. One of them is the Iceni Village, constructed in the mid 1970s. It consists of a rampart and gate with wooden watchtower. Inside, there are several houses which demonstrate Iron Age living. It is based upon Iron Age finds locally from Cockley Clay and elsewhere.
There is also a presentation of how a farmhouse could have looked like in 1640 and a small museum of farming tools. A small teaching section is devoted to prehistory. The surrounding nature reserve can be accessed by means of a nature trail with some observation points for bird-watching. Nearby, one will also find a small church, originally from 628 AD, one of the oldest churches in the country.
