List of towns and cities in England by historical population

Estimating the populations of these oppida is fraught with difficulty by the nature of the evidence, and as such no precise hierarchy has yet been established; however it is generally agreed that by the time of the Roman conquest Colchester was probably the largest, perhaps followed by Silchester.

[1][2] When the Romans invaded in AD 43, their key strategic target was the oppidum at Colchester, the capital of the powerful Catuvellauni.

How deliberate this process was is open to debate: many towns grew up of their own accord around major army forts, such as at Caerleon or Exeter; these were known as vici.

Londinium (London) is something of an exception; it seems to have developed out of a trading colony, and eventually came to eclipse even Colchester in terms of population and importance thanks to its command of the Thames commercial axis.

[3][page needed] Urban sites were on the decline from the late Roman period and remained of very minor importance until around the 9th century.

[4][page needed] The Norman conquest of 1066 changed the demographics of England significantly, with many settlements being destroyed by the invading army.

[6] In 1086, William the Conqueror ordered the creation of the Domesday Book, a systematic survey of the kingdom of England.

[12][9] No strong information for population exists for the 15th century, with most modern estimates relying on analyses of baptism records.

The 17th and 18th centuries proved a low point for Britain's demography with no major structured survey of the nation's populations.

Most notable from a modern viewpoint is the fact that Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool and Sheffield do not make the top thirty, whereas within around 100 years they would become England's largest provincial cities.