The Romans had their eyes on Britain for some time, as a source of tin, copper, silver, hunting dogs and slaves. When Claudius wanted to add lustre to his reign he sent his commander Vespasian (later Emperor himself) to conquer it. They landed in 43 A.D. and within a year had reached Maiden Castle, where they heavily defeated the local tribesmen. This is near enough for people living here to be aware of the powerful enemy approaching them. Whether they were Durotriges (of Dorset) or Dumnonii(of Devon) they must have seen the well-equipped and highly-disciplined troops, with their red tunics and glittering bronze armour, marching west to establish the fort at Isca (Exeter). The tribes frequently took refuge at one of many nearby hill-forts such as Lewesden, Waddon and Pilsden.

As the Romans established control, the people of that Winsham must have been aware of the building of the great road, the Fosse Way, that linked Isca with Lindinis (Ilchester) and Aquae Sulis (Bath), and runs past present day Street Farm (hence its name).  As the Roman occupation became more peaceful and permanent, huge villas were built, and local people would have worked for these landowners as farm workers, as slaves stoking the hypocausts, or even, if they learned Latin, as administrators. Many women became "wives" of the army veterans who were granted land after 25 years' army service.

After the recent (2001) finding of a previously unknown villa at Lopen, with its beautiful mosaic pavement, and the already recorded villas at Whitestaunton, Wadeford and South Chard, who knows what treasures are still hidden underground? Simply ploughing a field or excavating for a new building can lead to amazing discoveries. When the Roman armies were withdrawn at the beginning of the fifth century, the way was open for another invasion: in this part of the country by the Saxons. They were resisted by local warlords who had been raised in a Romano-British culture; some saw themselves as champions of Christianity against Saxon paganism.

The origins of the King Arthur legend come from this time (much embroidered in later centuries) though, despite the claims of Tintagel, Cadbury and Glastonbury, no-one has proved that such an individual ever existed. What we do know is that the Saxons eventually made their homes here and built a settlement. Winsham is a Saxon name, meaning the holding or homestead of some one called Wine. The local pronunciation of the village's name ("winsome") is therefore more accurate than the commoner "win-sham". There was a Saxon church, though unfortunately none of it remains. 

The arrival of Christianity
How Christianity reached Somerset is unknown: traditionally the era began with the arrival of St. Augustine in Canterbury (597 A.D.) sent by Pope Gregory, but the Celtic church is much older. Our nearness to Cornwall, Wales and Ireland, makes it possible that Celtic Christian influences came long before. Of course, if the legend of Joseph of Arimathea planting the Glastonbury Thorn is to be believed, then it was heard of even before that!   Stories apart, Saxon society was established and continued until the Norman Conquest over five hundred years later. It was a severely structured society, with the thegns (thanes) who were the large landowners, at the top, and the ceorls (churls) at the bottom. Everyone knew their place within the hierarchy, whether they only tilled their small patch of land among the common fields, and did two or three days work-service a week for their overlord, or whether they were craftsmen in the village: smiths, wainwrights (wagon-makers), potters, for example. The origin of so many modern surnames is obvious. A higher position might be that of the miller, or of the reeve (the village's chosen spokesman). Justice was administered by the "hundred" courts, in a complicated system of fines, such as the wergild (price of a man) in cases of murder, and of trial by ordeal, where God gave the verdict through water or the healing of wounds. Barbaric perhaps, but accepted.