AHC: Camulodunum / Colchester capital of Britain

[Tom Colton]

Camulodunum was founded before Londinium (more or less), but the latter city overtook it as the capital of Roman Britain around 100 AD. This challenge isn't about preventing that, but in making Camulodunum bounce back faster from the Anglo-Saxon migrations and Viking raids; both cities were essentially abandoned during the Sub-Roman Britain period and underwent periods of destruction thereafter.

Could Colchester emerge as the major port of Britain in the 7th-9th centuries, or was London's position so superior that this is unlikely?

 

[BiteNibbleChomp]

If London gets captured and burned by the Vikings or Saxons, Camulodunum could easily use its Roman glory to claim superiority. Then, just make the owner of it be the most instrumental in the unification of England in the 10th century. This can be easily done by killing Alfred the Great before 886, which is when he is said to have 'refounded' the city, or to have the 994 attack capture and finally destroy it.

London didn't become very important until the 10th century anyway, so Britain/England/"That Saxon Country" can exist without it.

- BNC

 

[Tom Colton]

London didn't become very important until the 10th century anyway, so Britain/England/"That Saxon Country" can exist without it.

- BNC

What other plausible candidates were there for a centralised nexus of power besides London? Does Camulodunum present itself as an obvious alternative, or were there other, more prominent, port cities?

 

[Patg_hnj]

The issue with Colchester is that the Colne is pretty shallow and the Orwell / Stour have a better harbour which would suggest Ipswich or Manningtree.
If Camulodunm had actually been on Mersea Island then the port would have been better and it would have had more of a chance as continental trade grew...

 

[Ivir Baggins]

The issue with Colchester is that the Colne is pretty shallow and the Orwell / Stour have a better harbour which would suggest Ipswich or Manningtree.
If Camulodunm had actually been on Mersea Island then the port would have been better and it would have had more of a chance as continental trade grew...

Well, there'd be an actual bridge connecting it to the mainland rather than the Strood which gets blocked at high tide, so it'd certainly be of benefit to Mersea Island. However, Mersea Island isn't on anything that can be reasonably termed a major route, whereas Colchester is a crossing on the Colne at least.

 

[BiteNibbleChomp]

What other plausible candidates were there for a centralised nexus of power besides London? Does Camulodunum present itself as an obvious alternative, or were there other, more prominent, port cities?

Camulodunum could be a seat of government without being a port, and certainly would fulfil that role well.
As for ports, I would suspect either Southampton (especially early on) or later Liverpool. Southampton especially was never huge in OTL, but with most of the trade going in there it is possible for it to become a major city.

- BNC