In the Roman period Britain was a rural farming country as it had been for thousands of years before the Romans arrived. Most people lived in round huts made of timber, clay and sometimes stone. Several roundhouses were often built close together and formed a small farm for an extended family. These collections of round houses were often surrounded by a bank and ditch or low wall forming an enclosure around the farm buildings. This enclosure was probably intended to keep wild animals out and chickens, pigs and other domestic animals in.
As these farms became more influenced by the Roman way of life many roundhouses were replaced by square stone buildings that were more similar to the Roman style of building. http://www.brims.co.uk/romans/farming.html http://www.ukagriculture.com/countryside/countryside_history_700bc.cfm
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