Great Yarmouth and Gorleston did no exist as towns in Roman times. There may have been a small settlement on the sandbank that probably existed in the mouth of the estuary of the River Yare. The estuary was silting up, as all estuaries inevitably do and the last vestige of the estuary is Breydon Water. In Roman times the estuary was an important route to the regional capital of Venta Icenorum which was near to Caistor St Edmunds, Norwich.